2023: Organisation hails court ruling in favour of Odii as Ebonyi PDP guber candidate

The Director of Media and Publicity of Anyichucks Grassroots Organization, Mr Abia Onyike, has commended the court ruling in favour Dr IfeanyiChukwuma Odii as the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi for 2023 polls.

Onyike said in a news conference on Thursday in Abakaliki that the court ruling was a good one in the efforts to sustain the democratic system of the nation.

On his clarifications on the judgements of both the Court of Appeal, Abuja, and the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, delivered on July 19, he explained that Odii remains the rightfull flag bearer of the party ahead of 2023.

It recalls that Odii and Senator Obinna Ogba had been enmeshed in a legal battle over who is the authentic governorship candidate of the party for 2023 polls.

The federal high court in Abakaliki had on July 19 declared Odii for the second time the authentic gubernatorial candidate of PDP in the state.

The court however, declared the rescheduled primary of June 4 and 5 that produced Senator Ogba as another governorship candidate as invalid and unconstitutional.

According to Onyike on the judgment, the Apex Court only remitted the appeal filed by Ogba to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to re-assign the matter to another Judge of the Federal High Court for re-trial.

Onyike's statement reads: "the essence of this meeting is to clear the air on the two important Court Judgements made on July 19, namely: the Court of Appeal, Abuja and the Federal High Court, Abakaliki.

"Following these two Judgements, it has become more imperative that we inform the general public and our teeming supporters about the true situation of things regarding the two Court Judgements.

"It is equally important we make it abundantly clear that Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odi remains the authentic Gubernatorial candidate of our Party in Ebonyi.

"First of all, let me draw your attention to the summary of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on 19th July, 2022.

"The Appeal Court remitted the appeal filed by Ogba to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the matter to another Judge of the Federal High Court for re-trial.

"On the other hand, the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki passed another judgment on a related issue and nullified the Governorship, Senate, House of Reps and House of Assembly Primaries held on the 4th and 5th of June, 2022 which purportedly produced Ogba and others as PDP candidates.

"The Court declared the exercise as unconstitutional, illegal, null, and void.

"Moreover, it was equally held that the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) did not monitor the primaries as required by the Electoral Act 2022.

"The Court upheld the authentic PDP primaries conducted on 28th and 29th of May, 2022 which produced Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odi and other candidates elected during the primaries," Onyeike explained.

Also Speaking, Sen Igwe Nwagu, Odii's Running mate said the court judgment indicated that the nation's democracy is growing.

Nwagu urged the party faithful to always work in oneness to win in all positions in the 2023 polls.

"Odii, otherwise known as Anyichuk can take the people of Ebonyi to the promised land," he added.

Any good move that will kick out the evil party from the corridor of power is highly welcome...