2023: Again Court Gives Strong Verdict Over Ebonyi PDP Guber Candidacy
- Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii has been recognised as the authentic governorship candidate for the PDP in the 2023 election in Ebonyi state
- This recognition of Odii was delivered in a judgement by the Federal High court in Abakaliki on Friday, July 22
- According to the court, a repeat of the primary election conducted by the opposition party on June 4 and 5 is invalid as there were no INEC officials present
A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital city has declared Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii as the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state's 2023 general election.
The court also declared the rescheduled PDP primary in Ebonyi state invalid.
Vanguard reports that the decision by the court followed the move by the party to reschedule its already conducted primary that saw the emergence of Odii as the party's governorship candidate in Ebonyi state.
Source: UGC
However, in a fresh primary conducted on June 4 and 5, the party delegates elected Senator Obinna Ogba as another gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi state.
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The Punch reports that giving his ruling Justice Fatun Riman said the repeated primary in the state was invalid because it was never monitored by the officials of the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Riman's words:
“The rescheduled primary was not done in line with the law; we, therefore, recognised the primaries of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi and that is our judgment."
Appeal court calls for a new trial
In an earlier order, the Appeal Court had mandated a trial de novo of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP governorship ticket.
The order, the court said was to enable the appellant who claimed to be an interested party to be heard.
The court hinged its decision on the principle of natural justice expressed in the legal maxim, “audi alterem partem” which enjoins that the other party must be heard.
In his reaction to the court's decision, Mudi Erhenede, counsel for Odii, appreciated the judge and the court for the judgement.
Erhenede said:
“The court has revisited the suit for a fair hearing and ruled that the rescheduled PDP primaries remain invalid.
“So, the court in his wisdom has ruled that the business of June 4 and 5 primaries were not done in line with the law and of course recognised the party primaries of May 28 and 29.”
2023: Ebonyi PDP crisis deepens as doubts rise over membership status of factional governorship candidate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ebonyi chapter was in a heated crisis over the authenticity of who is the party's gubernatorial candidate.
According to reports gathered, the Ebonyi chapter of the party is divided into two factions and deepening the crisis in the state chapter of the party.
However, the presumed factional gubernatorial candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii has been accused of being a pseudo member of the party.
PDP suspends chairman over alleged diversion of N53m
In another related event, the PDP in Ebonyi state had taken a stern and punitive measure against its chairman, Okorie Tochukwu.
During an emergency State Working Committee meeting on Monday, July 4, Tochukwu was suspended for one month.
The decision came as a result of an allegation of funds diversion to the tune of N53 million by the suspended chairman.
Source: Legit.ng
