The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State has again declared the rescheduled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s, primaries held on June 4 and 5 invalid.
The court, however, recognized Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii as authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2023 polls.
It recalls that the party rescheduled and conducted fresh primaries on June 4 and 5 after its initial primaries on May 28 and 29 that elected Odii its governorship candidate.
The rescheduled exercise of June 4 and 5 elected Senator Obinna Ogba as another gubernatorial candidate of the party.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman, said the repeated primaries in the state was invalid as it was not monitored by the official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The rescheduled primaries was not done in line with the law; we, therefore, recorgnize the primaries of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi and that is our judgment.”
It recalls that the appeal court had earlier on Tuesday in Abuja ordered for trial de novo of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP guber ticket by the court of first instance, Federal High Court, Abakaliki.
The order was made to enable the appellant, who claimed to be an 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.
Mr Mudi Erhenede, Counsel for Odii, popularly known as Anyichuks, thanked the court for the judgement.
“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 course, recognized the party primaries of May 28 and 29.”