Anambra 2021: Appeal court validates Ozigbo as PDP candidate, awards N10m cost against Uba
[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Court of Appeal, Awka Division, sitting in Abuja has declared Valentine Ozigbo the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 6, 2021, governorship election in Anambra State.
The Court in its ruling on Friday recognised the gubernatorial primary conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on June 26, 2021 at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre which produced Ozigbo as lawful.
The 3-man panel of Justices presided by Honourable Justice Dongban Mensa, also ordered the national electoral body, INEC, to immediately publish Valentine Ozigbo as the candidate of the PDP, the main opposition party on its website.
On July 5, 2021, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, had instituted a suit against the party and its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging Ozigbo’s candidature for the November 6, 2021 governorship election.
Recall that barely 24 hours after Senator Uba instituted the suit, Justice O. A. Nwabunike granted an ex parte injunction restraining INEC from shortlisting Ozigbo as the PDP candidate.
Mr Alex Ejesieme, SAN, the lead Counsel to Mr Valentine Ozigbo, had argued in the appeal that the judgement of the Awka High Court delivered by Justice Nwabunike was faulty because it was based on a judgement by a Federal Capital Territory High Court which the Court of Appeal had voided.
The court also awarded a cost of N10 million against Senator Ugochukwu Ubah for being a meddlesome interloper.