From Asa Mbaocha, Abakaliki
A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has nullified the rescheduled primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which produced Senator Obinna Ogba as the Party’s governorship flagbearer in Ebonyi State.
The Court ruled that the primary elections that brought Ogba and other candidates were illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
Court however affirmed the primary elections earlier conducted in the state that produced Chief Ifeanyi Odii as governorship candidate of the PDP.
PDP under the chairmanship of Tochukwu Okorie, had on Sunday, conducted a fresh primary elections in the state, a week after Silas Onu faction held its primary elections in Ebonyi State.
Addressing journalists in the state, the reinstated chairman, Okorie noted that the party, on the approval of its National Working Committee(NWC) led by Iyorchia Ayu, began its primaries on the 4th to end on 5th June 2022.
Okorie explained that, having been enmeshed in crisis, the NWC taught it wise to give peace a chance by allowing the conduct of fair primary elections to hold in the state.
However, after the conduct of the election, Odii who won the first primary as the governorship candidate of PDP approached the Abakaliki Federal High court seeking for the cancellation of the rescheduled primary elections.
Court on June 7, gave an order on the suit no. FHC/AI/CS/2022 between Chief Ifeanyi Odii as plaintiff and Peoples Democratic Party and Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC) as first and second defendants, nullifying the rescheduled primary elections.
Court declared the cancellation or purported cancellation of the Peoples Democratic Party Governorship primary election held in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022 as unlawful, whimsical, capricious, null, void and of no effect in any manner whatsoever for offending the provisions of the said extant laws referred to above
It further stated, “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
“That the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party could 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.
“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 lows referred to above.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant or itself, its agents, organs, servants, workmen, privies etc from purporting to cancel, canceling or otherwise tampering with or upturning the outcome of first Governorship Primary election held in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant or its agents, organs, servants, workmen etc from refusing to receive or transmute the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant to INEC as the governorship candidate for Ebonyi State.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant or itself, its agents, organs, servants, workmen, privies etc from rescheduling or fixing any other date for its Governorship primary election other than that scheduled and already held by it in Ebonyi State on 29/05/2022.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the second defendant or 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.
