The Federal High Court sitting in Ebonyi State Southeast Nigeria has again declared the rescheduled People Democratic Party’s (PDP), primaries in the State invalid and recognised Dr Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2023 polls.
It recalls that the party rescheduled and conducted fresh primaries on June 4 and 5 after its initial primaries on May 28 and 29 that elected Odii its governorship candidate
The rescheduled exercise of June 4 and 5 elected Senator Obinna Ogba as another gubernatorial candidate of the party.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman said the repeated primaries in the state was invalid as it was not monitored by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The rescheduled primaries was not done in line with the law; we therefore, recognise the primaries of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi and that is our judgment” Riman said.
It would be recalled that the appeal court had earlier on Tuesday in Abuja ordered for trial de novo of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP guber ticket by the court of first instance, federal high court, Abakaliki.
The order was made to enable the appellant, who claimed to be in interested party to be heard pursuant to the principle of natural justice expressed in the legal maxim, “audi alterem partem” which enjoins that the other party must be heard.
The counsel to Odii, Mr Mudi Erhenede thanked the court for the judgement.
“The court has ruled that the rescheduled PDP primaries remains invalid.
“So, the court in her wisdom has ruled that the business of June 4 and 5 primaries was not done in line with the law and off course recognised the party primaries of May 28 and 29” Erhenede added.
Emmanuel Ukoh
