Court declares Odii as Ebonyi PDP 2023 authentic guber candidate

From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki

A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State on Tuesday declared Dr Ifeanyi Odii as the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi State.

The is sequel to the nullification of the rescheduled Primaries of the PDP held in the State on 4th and 5th of June 2022.

Presided by Justice Fatun Riman, the court upheld the primaries of 28th and 29th May 2022 earlier cancelled by the National Working Committee(NWC) of the party.

The Court also restrained the party from refusing to receive and transmit the name of Mr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Ọdịi, who won the cancelled governorship primaries, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the party for Ebonyi 2023 governorship election.

Senator Obinna Ọgba was elected the Governorship candidate of the PDP in the rescheduled election which the court on Tuesday declared null, void, illegal.

The national Leadership of the Party had cancelled midway, the 29th May, 2022, for the State, citing breach of the party’s guidelines.

But the primaries went ahead and Mr Ifeanyi Ọdịi emerged winner even though most of the aspirants either boycotted or withdrew from the said election.

The party later fixed another primary for the 4th and 5th of June 2023 in which fresh candidates emerged including Senator Obinna Ọgba.

Mr Ọdịị and others who emerged in the cancelled primary elections, however boycotted the rescheduled election.

Prior to the cancellation of the primaries, Odii had approached the court to order the Party not to reschedule the primary elections already conducted in the State.

Odii through his Lawyer, Mudi Erhenede argued that the purported cancellation of the Governorship primary election held in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022 was unlawful, whimsical, capricious, null, void and of no effect in any manner whatsoever for offending the provisions of the electoral law.

Mr Odii also sought a declaration that the National Chairman and the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party cannot upturn the valid decisions of the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee without holding a valid and subsequent meetings of the said organs of the party for that purpose.

Other reliefs sought by Mr Ọdịi include:”A declaration that the National Working Committee and the National

Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party could not have held and did not hold any meeting of the said organs of the party while it was

engrossed in the conduct of its special National Convention for purposes electing its Presidential Candidate from 28/05/2022 and 29/05/2022 for the 2023 elections.

“A declaration that the Peoples Democratic Party cannot lawfully cancel, upturn, annual etc the outcome of its Governorship primaries held on 29/05/2022 in Ebonyi State in the manner contained in its purported press release of 29/05/2022 for offending the provisions of the said extant laws referred to above”

“A declaration that the Independent National Electoral Commission cannot blindly comply with the cancellation or purported cancellation of the Governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party held on 29/05/2022 In Ebonyi State for offending the provisions of the said extant laws referred to above”

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining The 1st Defendant or itself, its agents, organs, servants, workmen, privies etc from purporting to cancel, canceling or otherwise tampering with or upturning the outcome of the Governorship Primary election held in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022”

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant for itself, agents, organs, servants, workmen etc from refusing to receive or transmit the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant to the 2 Defendant NEC) as its (Governorship candidate for Ebony State”

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant for itself, its agents, organs, servants, workmen, privies etc from rescheduling or fixing any other date for its Governorship primary election in Ebonyi State other than that scheduled and already held by it in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant for itself, its agents, servants, workmen, privies etc from monitoring any other governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State after that of 29/05/2022”.

Rulling, Justice Riman agreed with the plaintiff and granted all the reliefs sought.

The Judge noted that the rescheduled primaries were held in flagrant disregard to the party’s guidelines and constitution. He also declared that the rescheduled prima