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A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia on Friday dismissed the suit seeking to nullify the recent Abia PDP primaries.
The plaintiffs had in suit no. FHC/UM/CS/62/2022, Ndudi Nwagbara and six others Vs INEC, PDP, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji and 37 others sought to disqualify all PDP candidates for the 2023 election on the grounds that the congresses conducted by the PDP to elect delegates for the primary election that produced the candidates did not hold.
The seven plaintiffs are Messers: Ndudi Nwagbara, Egege Ikedichi, Ochulo Ulonam Junior, Onyedikachi Abaribe, Smile Esinna, Francis Oparocha and Chikwe Chigozie had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the PDP; and the Party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as the first, second and third defendants respectively.
They had among other prayers, asked the court to sack all the Abia PDP candidates because the three-man delegates’ election which produced them never held.
Delivering judgement on the matter, presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, held that the conduct of Party delegate congress was entirely an internal affair of a political Party and not justiciable in law.
The court held that “no law gives delegates right of action” in court to challenge the conduct of delegate congress.
According to Justice Anyadike, the suit can only be justiciable in the court if it were brought by an aspirant who participated in a primary election.
The court subsequently dismissed the suit after resolving it in favour of the defendants, declaring that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to sue.
Reacting, the PDP in Abia said “This judgement is not only a victory to the candidates and the PDP but also the victory for democracy, justice and Abians in general”.
In a press release by Hon. Elder Abraham Amah, Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary, the party said the plaintiffs had by that singular suit, in a grand conspiracy hatched by enemies of the State, the PDP and the people it serves, “sought to embarras the Party and disqualify the most credible governorship candidate in the race and other candidates of the PDP at all levels and enthrone mediocre for their selfish ends”.
The judgement the party noted has deepened the belief of all peace-loving and fair-minded people that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man.
“As we savour the victory of this landmark judgement in our journey to victory at the polls, we call on all PDP faithful to remain steadfast and resolute in their determination to enthrone good governance, accountability and transparency in government by ensuring that we do all we can to secure the victory of the PDP at all levels the polls”, the party said.
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