2023 Ebonyi Gov’ship: Again, court recognizes Odii as authentic PDP candidate

The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Tuesday, declared the rescheduled Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), primaries in Ebonyi invalid and recorganised Dr Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party in the 2023 general election.

Recall that the party rescheduled and conducted a fresh primaries on June 4 and 5 after its Initial primaires in Ebonyi on May 28 and 29 that elected Odii a governorship candidate.

The rescheduled exercise of June 4 and 5 elected Senator Obinna Ogba as another gubernatorial candidate of the party.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman said the repeated primaries in the state was invalid as it was not monitored by the official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Appeal court had earlier on Tuesday in Abuja ordered for trial de novo of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP guber ticket by the court of first instance, federal high court, Abakaliki.

The order was made to enable the appellant, who claimed to be in interested party to be heard pursuant to the principle of natural justice expressed in the legal maxim, “audi alterem partem” which enjoins that the other party must be heard.