“You will be liable to be committed to prison” — Court warns INEC chair, Anyanwu over PDP crisis

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja has issued a formal notice warning the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, and the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, over alleged disobedience of a subsisting court judgment in an ongoing leadership dispute within the party.

The notice, issued in Form 48 and dated April 20, 2026, stems from a January 12 ruling in which the court dismissed Anyanwu’s suit challenging his expulsion from the PDP. The court warned that continued disregard of its decision could amount to contempt, punishable by imprisonment.

In Suit No. CV/1050/2025, Anyanwu is listed as respondent, while PDP leaders represented by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum are among the applicants seeking enforcement of the judgment. The court directed that both Anyanwu and the INEC chairman must comply with the ruling without delay.

The PDP remains deeply divided, with parallel leadership structures emerging from its internal conflict. One faction is led by Tanimu Turaki and supported by Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, while another is aligned with Nyesom Wike under the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed.

Anyanwu’s expulsion dates back to March 10, 2025, when the party’s National Disciplinary Committee recommended his removal over alleged anti-party activities. The decision was later ratified by party leadership and reinforced during a disputed convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, which was subsequently invalidated by the courts.

Despite the ruling, Anyanwu remained active in party activities and participated in a rival convention in Abuja in March 2026 that produced a factional leadership structure. INEC later recognised that faction, further deepening the controversy.

The Turaki-led group has continued to challenge that recognition. In a letter dated April 16, 2026, its counsel, Abdullahi Ibrahim, urged INEC to withdraw recognition of Anyanwu, arguing that his expulsion remains valid and that his appeal does not suspend the High Court judgment.

The faction maintained that Anyanwu ceased to be a PDP member and therefore lacks legal authority to act for the party. It further insisted that the judgment remains binding under the Constitution and must be enforced by INEC without further delay.

It warned that failure to comply could lead to contempt proceedings against the electoral body and further legal action to challenge its decisions.