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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Abuja has refused to vacate its order barring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the outcome of the purported 3-man Ad hoc delegate election of the PDP held on 30th April, 2022 or any other date.
Attempts to vacate the order of the Court failed today as the Court adjourned to the May 20, 2022.
By not vacating the Order today, the PDP in Imo State will have to conduct the Primary elections to select its House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate candidates by the use of only statutory delegates as the delegates election of April 30, has been nullified by the Court and also voided by the report from INEC.
The primary elections are scheduled to hold on the 18th May for House of Assembly, 20th May for the House of Representatives and 24th May for the Senatorial primaries.
In his reaction to newsmen at the end of the Court sitting, Opposition Coalition Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere hailed the court for its courage and also said the court decision today is victory for internal party democracy and Imo PDP urging party members to stand strong and only elect credible and popular candidates to lead the Party to victory at the general elections.
The Court sitting in Zubwa, Abuja, had barred the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from using the contrived result of the three-man ad hoc delegates election results for the state which were not conducted in the election of candidates.
Justice Bello Kawu granted the preservative order after listening to a motion exparte filed by Chidinma Nancy Uzomba, an aspirant cleared by the PDP to contest the election for Ideato Federal Constituency.
She had approached the court following the alleged stealing of the result sheets of the two local government areas by Chief of Staff to PDP National Secretary Sam Anyanwu and non-conduct of the delegates elections in the entire state and the controversy of a list being pushed by the National Secretary of the Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu as delegates for the election.
the suit No: FCT/HC/BW/CV/1450/2022, the claimant listed the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.
The motion was accompanied by an affidavit of urgency deposed to by one Maliki Sylvanus from the law firm of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
Justice Kawu after listening to submissions by counsel to the claimant, Daniel Edachi further restrained the PDP and the INEC from recognising any result emanating from the three-man ad hoc delegates election in Imo State and or including any person(s) purportedly elected in the said three-man ad hoc delegates election held on April 30, 2022 or any other date from voting or participating in the election of the candidates of PDP for elective offices in the forthcoming primary election of the party pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The Judge also granted an order restraining the PDP from allowing, recognising or giving effect to any purported delegates emanating from the stolen and or missing result sheets of Ideato North and Ideato South local government areas three-man ad hoc delegates election to vote in the primary election of the PDP in both local government areas for the purpose of electing candidates for the 2023 general elections pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The order further bars INEC from accepting from the PDP any list of candidates from Imo State who emerge from any primary election held with the list of the ill-fated delegates list.
