PDP-Anambra State: Defeated Faction Cross-Petitions INEC, National Assembly, Others.

Senators Stella Oduah and Andy Ubah

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has been urged to disregard the calls for the replacement of the inaugurated candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the National Assembly in respect of the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which sacked the State Exco that produced the already inaugurated candidates.

The apex Court in its ruling over the leadership tussle in the State chapter of the party had ruled in favour of the Chief Oguebego led faction. Incidentally, the members of the Senate and House of Assembly from the State were of the faction of the sacked faction which seemingly implies that all actions taken by it are null and void as something cannot come out nothing.

However, the Supreme Court verdict apart from its ruling on the leadership did not make any pronouncement on the candidates who took offices from it. Already, the counsel of the candidates of the authentic faction, Chief Chris Uche, SAN during the week petitioned the electoral body to present the candidates presented by the group with Certificates-of-Returns in view of their inaugurations.

Following the development, a statement from the chambers of Chief Arthur Obin Okafor, SAN, counsel to the defeated faction has cross-petitioned INEC, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of the Representatives and the general public to ignore such calls saying that the Supreme Court judgment had nothing to do with the inaugurated senators and the members of the House of Representatives.  

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the Supreme Court did not order the withdrawal of the certificates of return issued to our clients. The court also did not hold that the state PDP (Oguebego led – Executive) had the right to sponsor candidates for the party.

“The apex court did not order Senator Andy Uba, Senator Stella Oduah and seven other members of the House of Representatives representing Anambra State to vacate their seats whatsoever as rumored in the  social media, as same was not asked for by the appellant (Ejike Oguebego) in the Supreme Court, nor at the Federal High Court.

“The apex court did not equally authorize INEC, who was the 2nd  respondent in the appeal, to substitute our clients with the individuals whose names were improperly allowed by INEC in obvious disregard of the plethora of judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the effect that it is only the National Executive Committee of the party that has the right and capacity to sponsor candidates,” the letter stated.