Abia PDP: Igwe asks court to nullify his purported substitution as Deputy Governorship Candidate

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

The deputy governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State for the 2023 elections, Hon. Barr. Okey Igwe, has gone to court to challenge his purported substitution by the state chapter of PDP.

Igwe in a statement he personally signed on Friday, February 17, 2023 and made available to newsmen, said he wants an Abuja Federal High Court to determine whether his party could legally substitute him since he was duly nominated and being the subsisting deputy governorship candidate who was still alive and neither resigned nor gave his consent within the time allowed by law to be substituted.

The lawmaker representing Umunneochi State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly is praying the court to make the following four declarations: that his subsisting candidature cannot be substituted while he is alive and never resigned; that Abia PDP cannot substitute his candidature without his written consent which was not given within the allowable period; an order effectively nullifying his purported substitution and an order perpetually restraining INEC from accepting and or publishing any other name(s) as a replacement for his subsisting candidature and to retain same.

Igwe explained that he resorted to the court to enforce his rights as a candidate and to protect Abia PDP from taking a self destructive step which would ultimately nullify the party’s imminent victory at the March 11 polls and imperil the gubernatorial ticket.

The statement by Igwe which he addressed to his supporters and people of goodwill, reads:

“I bring you greetings once again. A few days back, I had sent out a message calling on all our supporters and people to stay calm with assurances that our candidature as the duly nominated, bona fide and subsisting deputy governorship candidate of Abia PDP for the 2023 General Elections remains immutable – purported substitution nonetheless.

In keeping faith to that assurance and in conformity with acceptable civil standards, I have approached an Abuja Federal High Court to, in layman’s language, determine whether having regards to relevant sections of our Electoral Act, our party can legally substitute our subsisting deputy gubernatorial candidature in view of the fact that I am alive and never resigned the said candidature.

Upon determination of the above question, I have asked the court to make the following orders: (1) a declaration that my subsisting candidature cannot be substituted while I am alive and never resigned; (2) a declaration that our party cannot substitute my candidature without my written consent- such consent not having been given within the allowable period; (3) an order effectively nullifying my purported substitution; (4) an order perpetually restraining INEC from accepting and or publishing any other name(s) as a replacement for my subsisting candidature and to retain same.

I have taken the above step for two reasons: first to enforce my rights as a candidate and second to protect our party from taking a self destructive step as their purported, impermissible substitution of my candidature will ultimately nullify our imminent victory at the March 11 polls and imperil the gubernatorial ticket.

Again, I urge us all to remain calm, law abiding and continue working for the victory of our party up and down the ballots. I have utmost faith in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.”

Before racing to the court, Igwe, a lawyer and successful business man, had advised the party against substituting his subsisting candidacy when rumours of his impending substitution were rife, following the death of his principal, the hitherto Abia PDP Governorship Candidate, Prof. Uche Ikonne; and his urgent replacement with Chief Okey Ahiwe.

In a statement he issued then, Igwe advised his party to thread with caution because its attempt to unlawfully subvert his candidature may boomerang and render the entire PDP gubernatorial candidature inchoate.

The statement read: “I wish to use this medium to thank all my supporters, fans and all Abians of good will for your phone calls and show of concern in the face of attempted substitution of my candidature as the duly nominated and subsisting deputy gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Abia State, for the 2023 General Elections.

“I have committed my soul, resources and energy to the course of victory for our party since my nomination alongside my late boss. My boss passed, and I have accepted his passing, albeit painfully, as the will of divinity. Yet, my candidature subsists in accord with the constitution and our Electoral Act.

“Indeed, certain entrenched interests that are and were opposed to what Prof and myself represented towards charting the course of a new, sustainable Abia, have arisen against me.

“I will advise them to see reason, exercise due caution and understand that their attempt to unlawfully subvert my candidature shall fail and worse still render the entire PDP gubernatorial candidature inchoate – that will amount to pulling the rug from the under the feet of our great party.

“Finally, I want to charge all my supporters to remain law-abiding and stay the course towards victory. Attempted perfidy shall surely fail. God bless you all.”

However, Vice Chairman of Abia PDP and Acting Publicity Secretary, Hon. Elder Amah Abraham, sooner than later, announced that the party has dropped Igwe as its Deputy Governorship Candidate and replaced him with one Dr. Jasper Uche.

Adducing reasons why the party took the step, Amah was quoted in a media report as saying that Igwe was dropped because his candidacy died the day Prof. Ikonne died; and that he (Igwe) has a dual citizenship.

A top Abia PDP chieftain told newsmen in Umuahia when the move to replace Igwe reached its peak that the action was to please certain entrenched interests in the party which have been angry that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu by-passed them when he fought for the emergence of the Ikonne/Igwe ticket of the party.

According to the source, the sudden death of Ikonne opened the route for the aggrieved party bigwigs to have their pound of flesh on Ikpeazu and Igwe, given the seeming frosty relationship between the Governor and the National Working Committee of PDP.

“The development, allegedly forced Ikpeazu to the negotiation table where the Governor had to make big concessions, including that of the deputy governorship slot to the powerful forces which control Abia PDP, which now preferred and nominated Jasper Uche,” the source alleged.

He had warned that the step taken by the party was bound to stir fresh crisis in the party but prayed that the party would be able to put its house in order before the March 11, 2023, governorship election.