In a strongly worded letter dated April 16, 2026, and addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, the Tanimu Turaki-led faction’s counsel, Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, demanded the immediate derecognition of Anyanwu as a party member and National Secretary.
The letter drew INEC’s attention to the January 12, 2026 judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court delivered by Justice Yusuf Halilu in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1050/2025, which dismissed Anyanwu’s suit and affirmed his expulsion from the PDP.
The Turaki faction argued that Anyanwu ceased to be a member of the party from the date of his expulsion and therefore lacked the competence to act on its behalf in any capacity.
The counsel emphasised that the filing of a notice of appeal on April 10, 2026, does not constitute a stay of execution, meaning the High Court judgment remains subsisting and enforceable under Section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The letter read in part, “Senator Samuel Anyanwu has ceased to be a member and officer of the Peoples Democratic Party and has no competence to act on behalf of the party in any capacity whatsoever since his expulsion… By implication, the judgment dismissing his case remains subsisting and in force, and the commission has a constitutional obligation to enforce, comply with, and implement the judgment… even without prompting from the Peoples Democratic Party.”
The faction described INEC’s continued recognition of Anyanwu as an affront to the judiciary and urged the commission to expunge all recognitions granted to him since January 12, 2026, including any correspondences, notices, and his listing on the INEC portal as PDP National Secretary.
The crisis traces back to March 10, 2025, when the PDP’s National Disciplinary Committee recommended Anyanwu’s expulsion for alleged anti-party activities.