By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki on Tuesday, quashed the Ebonyi PDP rescheduled primaries and upheld Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the legally elected candidate of the party ahead of 2023 general elections.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court had earlier nullified the rescheduled PDP primaries that was conducted on June 4 and 5, which produced Obinna Ogba as their guber candidate and upheld Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the candidate of the party.
Delivering judgement on the matter, the Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman stated that the repeated primaries in the state was invalid, since it was not monitored by the official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with the electoral guidelines.
“The rescheduled primaries was not done in line with the law; we therefore, recognise the primaries of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi and that is our judgment.
Also today, 19th June, 2022 appeal court in Abuja ordered for retrial
“de novo”of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP guber ticket by the court of first instance, federal high court, Abakaliki.
The court gave the order to enable the appellant, who claimed to be interested party to be heard pursuant to the principle of natural justice expressed in the legal maxim, “audi alterem partem” which enjoins that the other party must be heard.
Addressing newsmen immediately after the court sitting, the council to Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, Mr. Mudi Erhenede, expressed satisfaction over the court judgement, saying that court has given the suit fair hearing and declared the rescheduled PDP primaries of 4th and 5th June null and void.
“The court has revisited the suit for a fair hearing and ruled that the rescheduled PDP primaries remains invalid.
“So, the court in its wisdom, has ruled that the business of June 4 and 5 primaries was not done in line with the law and of cause, recognised the party primaries of May 28 and 29.”
