The Independent National Electoral Commission has removed the name of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency, Imo State, Albert Agulanna from the list of House of Representatives candidates scheduled for the February 25 election.

The withdrawal followed the court order by the Appeal Court in January.

A check on the INEC website by our correspondent on Wednesday reveals that the electoral body, based on a court order, did not include any name as a candidate of the party.

The electoral commission added “court order” as part of the reasons for the withdrawal.

In January, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked the federal constituency candidate of the PDP in the state, Albert Agulanna.

The court, in its ruling, also ordered that a fresh primary be held in the constituency within the next 14 days. However, an Appeal Court in Owerri barred the INEC and the PDP from going on to conduct a re-run primary election for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency of the state.

Prior to this, INEC had said it did not monitor the re-run primaries of the PDP in that constituency.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC in the state, Dr Chinenye Osuji disclosed the absence of the commission last Monday, while addressing journalists in Owerri.

Osuji said, “Any political party that decides to conduct its primaries in the absence of INEC is an effort in futility. INEC has to be present to monitor the exercise.

“If PDP decides to conduct the re-run primaries for Aboh Mbaise-Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency without INEC’s involvement, they know what they have done. So, it’s not for us to say.”

Meanwhile, Agulanna has challenged the decision of the appellate court in the Supreme Court.

The apex court, on Tuesday, resumed hearing on the suit and after adopting processes, adjourned the case till March 3 for ruling.

A Federal Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri has stayed the execution of an earlier judgment ordering the conduct of fresh primaries by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency of Imo State, the area where former Governor Emeka Ihedioha hails from.

A Federal High Court in January sacked Albert Agulanna, who emerged as the PDP candidate in the 2023 House of Representatives election, seeking to represent the constituency.

The lower court also ordered that a fresh primary should be held in the federal constituency within the next 14 days.

However, following an appeal filed by Dr Uzoma Ugochukwu, the appellate court has stopped the PDP from conducting fresh primaries.

The court in a judgement delivered by a three-man panel led by Justice Rita Pemu, held that the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not conduct any fresh primaries pending the outcome of the appeal at the Supreme Court.

It said, "Accordingly, it is hereby ordered as follows: An order staying the execution of the judgment of this Honourable Court delivered on the 20th January, 2023 only as regards the Order for a fresh Primary election for Aboh-Mbaise/Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency of Imo State pending the hearing and final determination of the Applicant's Appeal before the Supreme Court on the proprietary of the said Order of fresh Primary.

"An order restraining the 1st and 2nd Respondents from enforcing in any way whatsoever the judgment of this court delivered on 20th January 2023, by way conducting a rerun primary election for the Aboh-Mbasie/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency.

"And for such further or other order(s) as this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances. The grounds upon which the application is brought are as follows: That this Honorable Court Coram Hon. RITA N PEMU (JCA), O.A, ADEFOPE OKOJIE (JCA), SAMUEL ADEMOLA BOLA (JCA) (Delivered lead Judgment) delivered judgment on the 20th day of January 2023, in favor of the Appellant in APPEAL NO: CA/OW/493/2023 between DR. UZOMA IHEANYI UGOCHUKWU VS PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY & 3ors.

"That this Court granted the reliefs sought by the Appellant/Respondent for the 1st Respondent to conduct a fresh Primary for the Aboh-Mbasie/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency election amongst others.

"That by virtue of the Provisions of Section 233 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Respondent/Applicant has constitutional right to appeal against the judgment of this court to the Supreme Court.

"That the Respondent/Applicant has consequently filed an Appeal against the said judgment of this Court vide a notice of Appeal dated the 23rd of January 2023.

"That the Notice of Appeal contains substantial and arguable."

“Consequently by this order, the 1st and 2nd Respondents are hereby restrained from enforcing in any way whatsoever the judgment of this Court delivered on 20th of January, 2023 by way of conducting a fresh primary election for the Aboh- Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency," the court declared.

This development comes barely two weeks before the election of federal lawmakers scheduled for February 25.

Former Commissioner for Technology Development in Imo State, Meekam Mgbenwelu, has resigned from his membership of the RebuildImo Organisation, a political vehicle reportedly established for the re-election of former governor Emeka Ihedioha.

The former commissioner under the seven months short-lived administration of Ihedioha was appointed spokesperson of the organisation three months ago.

In a statement dated January 17, and addressed to Ihedioha, through Dr. Vin UdoKwu, Director General of the RebuildImo Organisation, Mgbenwelu said that he was resigning due to “the internecine conflicts within Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”.

He noted that the internal wranglings had “significantly impeded my ability to communicate effectively to the various stakeholders that constitute the broader collective.”

Mgbenwelu decried the Supreme Court disqualification of Jones Onyereri for the Imo West senatorial seat, which he said was “precipitated by a fellow PDP party member.”

He alleged Ihedioha masterminded the removal of Onyereri, described as the people’s choice and loved across party lines by every Orlu zone man and woman. Noting that “Injustice against one is injustice against all if allowed to fester,” he said that his decision was “predicated on unflinching principles”.

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Orlu, Imo, has accused its governorship candidate at the 2019 governorship election Emeka Ihedioha of plotting the removal of Jones Onyereri as the party’s candidate for the Imo West senatorial district election.

Mr Ihedioha was removed from office as Imo governor on January 14, 2020, by the Supreme Court.

Making the allegation in a statement barely three days after the Supreme Court nullified the primary election of the party in Imo West senatorial district, which produced Mr Onyerere as its candidate for the parliamentary election, leaders and stakeholders of the party in Orlu disclosed that they had vehemently declared Mr Ihedioha persona non grata for masterminding the party’s loss.

“Following the Supreme Court verdict nullifying the election of Dr Jones Onyeriri as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)for the Imo West senatorial district, leaders and stakeholders of the party in Orlu zone have vehemently declared Chief Emeka Ihedioha persona non grata for ‘masterminding’ the loss,” said the statement.

The Supreme Court judgment indicates that PDP will not participate in the February senatorial election.

The party’s leadership alleged that Mr Ihedioha, by his actions, had put the effort of the party in Imo West to waste.

The Supreme Court declared the primary election invalid because it was held in Owerri, the Imo capital, rather than Orlu, the senatorial headquarters of Imo West.

Youths in Mbaise, Imo State, have reiterated their support for Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as their preferred candidate, abandoning Emeka Ihedioha ahead of the 2023 Imo governorship election.

Reiterating their decision in a statement made available to Peoples Gazette on Monday, the youths accused Mr Ihedioha of “threatening and bribing people” to counter their endorsement of Senator Anyanwu for the Imo governorship.

In the statement signed by Ezekwe Chilaka (Ezinihitte Mbaise), Anaele Onuoha (Ahiazu Mbaise) and Tobechukwu Ogbonna (Aboh Mbaise), the youths said Mr Anyanwu was declared the sole candidate for the governorship seat by Mr Ihedioha’s kinsmen.

They accused the former governor and House of Representatives deputy speaker of resorting to media blackmail to denounce the endorsement of Mr Anyanwu, adding that they were “tired of his (Ihedioha) political dominance, greed and selfishness.”

The endorsement comes as the PDP’s governorship ticket continues to cause a divide among party members in the build up to the state’s governorship election.

On January 14, 2020, Mr Ihedioha and the PDP lost the governorship seat to now Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), when the Supreme Court declared Mr Uzodimma as the winner of the 2019 governorship election.

Ahead of the 2023 Imo Governorship election, the Mbaise nation comprising Aboh, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte Mbaise LGAs have passed an implicit vote of confidence on the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy).

The kinsmen of former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, declared Senator Anyanwu as their sole candidate for the number one seat in the state.

A former Chairman of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, Chief Paul Ogbonna moved the motion for the confidence vote on behalf of Ahiazu Mbaise and was seconded by Mazi Bodwin Ohaeri, a former PDP Chairman of Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area.

According to them, the resolution was to avoid Imo people of PDP extraction seeing Mbaise people as so greedy having taken the party’s governorship ticket for two consecutive times.

They added that with the confidence vote on Senator Anyanwu, the issue of where an average Mbaise person belongs to is never in doubt.

The vote of confidence was passed on Thursday at Ezihu Nguru Autonomous Community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the confidence vote on Senator Anyanwu, a frontline politician, community builder and former Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice in the state, Barr Okey Aguwa (Okangaoziri) from Aboh Mbaise said that the decision followed verifiable records of achievement of the adoptee in Mbaise land when he represented Owerri Senatorial District at the Red Chambers.

Barr Aguwa maintained that in 2015 and 2019 respectively, the people of Mbaise nation supported their son and brother, Emeka Ihedioha, regretting however the mandate given to him was allowed to slip off his palm.

He told Mbaise people to rally round Senator Anyanwu having exhausted all necessary support for their son, expressing optimism that the candidature of the PDP National Secretary will guarantee easy victory for the party.

Responding, Senator Samuel Anyanwu thanked them for finding him worthy of the confidence vote, adding that 2023 remains a year the people of Imo state will be saved and recovered from insecurity, maladministration and starvation.

Anyanwu said that their unanimous decision will never be taken for granted, pointing out that the project would only be realized if those at the grassroots unite.

He said, “The people of our state have suffered so much untold hardship, starvation and penury under the APC administration. Good enough, we have a rare opportunity to escape from this orchestrated malady. The only thing we should do is to unite as a people to confront this ugly situation head long. With God on our side, we shall be victorious”

Anyanwu who described himself as a full-blooded Mbaise man, added that as a result of that, he attracted various constituency projects to Mbaise nation while at the Senate.

“To demonstrate my love for Mbaise nation, as a Senator, I attracted many constituency projects to the three Mbaise LGAs, gave our youths employment, facilitated all our children wanted within my reach. If I could do all these as a Senator, why won’t I do more to sustain the glaring image of Mbaise nation as your governor? No person is more Mbaise than me.”

He promised not to disappoint Mbaise people if elected governor, noting that the love demonstrated by them was an evidence that he would win the 2023 elections.

According to him, “I am a man that is loved across the three zones of the state. The people of Orlu and Okigwe zones have seen your son, Senator Samuel Anyanwu as one of the best to save and recover our state from its current situation. If by God’s grace, I become your governor; no one will ever in life by God’s grace hijack the mandate you would have bestowed on me in the 2023 election”

Anyanwu, the National Secretary of PDP therefore cautioned anyone scheming to whittle down the spirit of party members for selfish reasons to desist, adding that whenever leaders shy away from their responsibilities of supporting party to be viable, such persons should be seen as enemies indirectly working against the party.

While commending them for the hard decision taken ahead of the 2023 poll, Senator Anyanwu admonished them to resist all form of intimidation, harassment and molestation from any politician before, during and after the elections.

The deputy director, Subcommittee on Support Groups and Member of the PDP National Campaign Council, Evang. Mike Ikoku, has condemned sponsored attacks targeted at the leadership of the Imo state Presidential Campaign Management Committee.

He described the sponsored media attacks and protest as rantings from failed "coup' plotters".

Addressing a section of the media at the Atiku-Okowa Campaign Office Opposite National Correctional Services, along Okigwe road, Owerri, He identified those behind the stage-managed protests as well as sponsored media attacks against the Director General of Imo PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Hon Greg Egu.

A visibly unhappy Ikoku said engineers of such 'unruly behavior' are hell bent on creating crisis in the party in their desperate bid to portray Hon. Egu in bad light.

When asked about those fuelling crisis rocking the Imo PDP PCC, Ikoku disclosed that a prominent governorship aspirant in the party who is afraid of contesting the guber ticket with other aspirants in the party is behind the sponsored malicious media reports against leadership of the Council.

He said;"I won't keep quiet and allow some politicians destroy the image of the Director General of Imo PDP PCC just because Egu has refused to join issues with the mischief makers."

"For purposes of clarity, I wish to inform the the former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha is only interested in the funds allocated for the presidential campaign operations, He is not interested if our candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar wins or not."

"His primary agenda is to hijack the funds and distribute at his discretion but unfortunately, Hon Greg Egu is not that kind of man you will try such with. As I speak to you, Ihedioha has not invested a kobo in the Atiku-Okowa Campaign project in the state instead he is laying ambush on how to displace the Director General of the Campaign Council, Egu so as for him to field in any of his surrogates to lead the campaign. No wonder on daily basis, we wake up to read one malicious media report and the other with unfounded claims of Misappropriation of fund, all targeted at tarnishing the image of some leaders in the Imo PDP PCC."

"It's on record that we have several factions in the party and all are eyeing the goveenorship ticket of the party and what is expected of us is to close ranks and fashion out strategy on how to solicit votes for our presidential candidate ahead next year's February election in favor of our candidate."

"The Campaign office of Atiku-Okowa was personally secured and furnished by an individual and no other person than the National Secretary of PDP, Sen Samuel Anyanwu, Samdaddy, we expect other governorship aspirants to also invest in the presidential campaign of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar instead of plotting to divert funds for personal gains that is detrimental to our collective agenda which is to deliver our presidential candidate in the forthcoming general election."

He added: "it will interest you to know that the Imo PCC disbursement prior to the visit of Atiku was approved by the former deputy speaker, Hon Emeka Ihedioha as the persons who collected funds for the various subcommittees signed before they received any fund. We are aware of Ihedioha's plans to retain one of his surrogates as the Director General of Imo PCC but was resisted by swift intervention of some leaders in the state."

"Failing in their ploy to impose the Imo PDP PCC DG, they have sworn to continue to create crisis in the party through their daily sponsored protests and media attacks. Let me also inform Imo people that I was accussed of diversion of funds and I beg to ask if am the DG of the Imo PDP PCC or Chairman of the Imo PDP PCC", Ikoku said.

"I have endured insults from Ihedioha's media handlers and my offense is simply my opposition to the imposition of Ihedioha as sole Governorship Candidate of Imo PDP and my decision on that is irreversible."

A Former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Gregory Egu, has been appointed Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Presidential Campaign Council in Imo state.

Egu emerged unopposed as stakeholders in the state were unanimous in their support for him to take the position. The seasoned politician and several other members of the council were inaugurated on Thursday morning at an elaborate ceremony in Owerri.

Shortly after, he inspected the official campaign office of the Party’s Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

He expressed heartfelt gratitude over the choice and location of the Office which was personally secured, equipped and donated by the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu (Samdaddy).

“Today begins the journey to Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of power come 2023”

“Now that we have been inaugurated, let’s put behind us our personal Interests and work in synergy to deliver our Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“As a political party, we can only stand the chance to win the Imo Governorship election if we elect a PDP President”.

He thanked the leadership of the party for finding him worthy to serve in the capacity as Director General and promised to put every resource in place to ensure a landslide victory for Atiku in 2023.

In search of peace and unity among party members, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has annulled the purported suspension of Local Government Chapter Chairmen in Imo State.

PDP NWC in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, Monday also said the party will review the Imo State Presidential Campaign Council list.

Recall that the PDP NWC had an interactive meeting with critical Stakeholders in the Imo State Chapter last Tuesday at the National Secretariat Abuja.

The PDP NWC resolved that ”all matters relating to the governorship primary election in Imo State should be suspended until after the 2023 general elections.

The statement read in part “that the purported suspension of some Local Government Chapter Chairmen in the State is null and void.

“That no member of the party should be suspended, sanctioned, intimidated or victimized on account of legitimate and lawful democratic expression or association within the ambit of the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP.

“That the list for the Imo State Chapter of the Presidential Campaign Council should be referred to the National Presidential Campaign Council for review to ensure greater inclusiveness of Party members in Imo State in compliance with the guideline set up by the Party.

“That proper democratic processes should be put in place during the Imo State Governorship Primary Election to guarantee a free and fair process for all Party members interested to participate in the Primary Election process.

“That the two contending aspirants should have a private meeting and discuss the way forward to ensure a smooth, united and cohesive Presidential, National and State Assembly elections campaign for the 2023 general elections.

“The Vice-Presidential Candidate should meet with critical leaders for further discussion and resolution of all issues in the Imo State Chapter of our Party”.

It charged all members of the party in Imo State to work together to ensure the victory of the PDP in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

In attendance were the National Secretary of the party, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, former governors, H.E Achike Udenwa and Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, members of the State Working Committee, serving and former National Assembly members, members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), members of the State Elder’s Committee and other key Stakeholders from Imo State.