BREAKING: Court nullifies rescheduled Ebonyi PDP primaries

BREAKING: Court nullifies rescheduled Ebonyi PDP primaries

*The PDP in Ebonyi State has been torn into two factions because of leadership tussle.

A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, nullified the rescheduled primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in the state on June 4 and 5.

The judge, Fatun Riman, upheld the primary of May 28 and 29 which was cancelled by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.

The court restrained the PDP from refusing to receive and transmit the name of Ifeanyi Odili to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the party for the Ebonyi 2023 governorship election.

Mr Odili won the cancelled governorship primary, while Obinna Ogba, a senator, won the rescheduled election which the court voided.

The PDP in Ebonyi State has been torn into two factions because of a leadership tussle.

The Silas Onu-led faction of the party conducted the May primary, while the Tochukwu Okorie-led faction conducted the rescheduled primary.

Both factions have filed different court cases in their struggle for the control of the party structure in the state and the quest to produce the candidates of the party for the 2023 general elections.

After the PDP cancelled the governorship primary, which he won, Mr Odili challenged the action in court.

Mr Odili, through his lawyer, Mudi Erhenede, asked the court to declare that the national chairman and the national secretary of the PDP cannot upturn “valid” decisions of the NWC and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, without holding a valid and subsequent meetings of the said organs of the party for that purpose.

He asked the court to declare that the NWC and NEC of the PDP 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 May 28 for the 2023 elections.

He also asked the court to declare that the PDP could not, therefore, cancel the outcome of its governorship primary held on May 29 in Ebonyi State.

The judge, Mr Riman, in his ruling, agreed with the plaintiff and granted all the reliefs sought.

The judge noted that the PDP held the rescheduled primary in flagrant disregard for the party’s guidelines and constitution.

He said the rescheduled primary flouted the electoral law as amended, as INEC did not monitor it.