Confusion as Courts declare Ozigbo, Uba as “Anambra PDP guber standard bearer”

Two court orders have further conflicted throwing up more controversy on who the Anambra governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is between Valentkne Ozigbo and Ugochukwu Uba

While a federal high court in Awka has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of Ozigbo as candidate of the PDP for the November 6 Anambra state governorship election, an Anambra State High Court also sitting in Awka has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to list Uba as the PDP candidate.

Ozigbo, a former chief executive officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, secured 62 votes to emerge as the standard bearer of the party in the primary election which was held on Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.

Ozigbo had approached a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Maitama seeking an order restraining the PDP from “tampering” with his name as the authentic candidate.

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He also sought an order “mandating” INEC to publish his name as the party’s candidate.

However, the court refused all the orders sought and ordered the electoral commission not to publish the name of any candidate for the PDP pending the determination of the motion on notice.

An Anambra State High Court presided over by Justice Obiora Nwabunike in a matter brought before him by Senator Ugochukwu Uba against Ozigbo, Anambra chapter of PDP and the INEC said Uba’s faction of the party held their primary election in line with the guidelines of the party and should be listed as the governorship candidate.

The party also awarded a cost of N10 million against Ozigbo and PDP, to be paid to Uba as a cost of litigation.

Nwabunike while delivering his judgment said, “Let me speak to my judgment now in a way that all will understand. When a court makes a pronouncement, it is not for you to come and begin to cite the constitution or to tell us that the party is supreme. Yes, the party is supreme, but the court is “supremacy.”

“The court is the only person that can say something that is green is now blue, and everyone will be bound to see it as blue. It will only take the court to rescind the decision, or a higher court upturning the decision before you can start seeing that thing as green again.

“So, what I am saying is that there is a court order on this matter that is still alive. It is not for you to come and be citing authorities, but for you to go back to the court and beg it to rescind its decision or you go to a higher court to upturn it.

“That is why it is My Lord that said it. It is only a court that can say a woman is a man, and it will stand. A decision may be wrong against the constitution of the party, it may be against the electoral act, or even against the constitution of the country, but what is important is that My Lord has spoken.

“I salute the parties involved, but I want to say that Senator Ugochukwu Uba has proven his point more clearly. Senator Uba faction having followed the order of the court in holding its primary election is hereby validated as the candidate of the PDP.

“INEC is hereby ordered to list Senator Ugochukwu Uba as the candidate of the PDP, and a cost of N10million awarded against the first and second defendant to the plaintiff as legal fees.”