By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily – A High Court sitting in Awka, the Anambra State capital has on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, barred the factional candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 6, 2021 governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo, from parading himself as the party’s candidate.
An order issued by the Honourable Justice Obiora Nwabunike in suit no. A/230/2021 SENATOR UBA VS INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS at the instance of Counsel to Ugochukwu Uba, Emeka Nwankwo, Esq, also prohibited the PDP from presenting Ozigbo, and INEC from accepting Ozigbo as the candidate of the PDP until the final determination of the suit brought by Uba to nullify the parallel congress held at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, where Ozigbo emerged winner with 62 votes.
Uba claimed that the congress at which Ozigbo emerged was conveyed in disobedience to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, in violation of section 87 of the Electoral Act, sections 25 and 50 of the PDP Constitution and directive of INEC dated 22nd June 2021, which mandated PDP to comply with the Abuja High Court order issued by the honourable Justice AO Adeniyi.
Uba further claimed that the primary election conducted at the Anambra State Congress which held at Saint Paul University, Awka, where Uba emerged PDP governorship candidate with 275 votes, was the proper party primary election in full obedience to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, compliant with Section 87 of the Electoral Act, Sections 25 and 50 of the PDP Constitution and directive of INEC dated 22nd June 2021 which mandated PDP to comply with the Abuja High Court order issued by the honourable Justice AO Adeniyi.
In the 7 paragraph, of the three-page order signed by Justice O.A. Nwabunike and certified by Okeke T.A., Deputy Director, Awka Division of the Anambra State High Court, the judge prohibited the three defendants: INEC, PDP and Ozigbo as follows:
”The Defendants are hereby ordered and directed to await the determination or outcome of this suit and restrained from presenting, receiving, parading, or accepting any person as the Governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant’s party [PDP] for the Governorship election fixed for the 6th November 2021 to elect Governor of Anambra State.”
The court adjourned the hearing of the main suit to July 12, 2021.
Given the contentious nature of the PDP primaries, and the litigation preceding the state congress, analysts had predicted a slew of litigation to determine the outcome of the primary election. The PDP has not disappointed.
It would be recalled that the first salvo of litigation in the wake of the primary elections which held on Saturday, June 26, 2021, was launched on Monday, July 5, 2021, at the Court of Appeal, Abuja by the Ozigbo faction which in CA/ABJ/359/2021 PDP VS ANYAKORAH & ORS had sought to bar Uba from enjoying the fruits of the state congress, which endorsed his candidature.
But this attempt was a double failure as the two motions brought to stay the judgment of the High Court were declined by the appellate court as totally bereft of merit and logic, forcing the PDP’s Counsel, Othai Otokpa, Esq, to withdraw the applications which were immediately struck out by the Appellate Court.
By the Order of the High Court in Awka dated Tuesday, July 6, 2021, the court has given life to the nomination of Senator. Dr Ugochukwu Uba, as the authentic Anambra State PDP Governorship Candidate as PDP is bound to stop parading Mr VALENTINE OZIGBO as the Anambra State PDP Candidate. Unless a contrary order is issued at the end of the hearing slated for next week, PDP would have no option but to rally behind Uba, its former Senator for Anambra South from 2003 to 2007.