Polycarp Sola-Abakaliki
Silas Onu, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State says Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii (AnyiChuks) remains the undisputed gubernatorial Candidate of the party in the State.
Onu gave the hint in a statement and explained that the embattled gubernatorial aspirant, Senator Obinna Ogba who has been dragging the position in court would eventually lost out to AnyiChuks as the undisputed Candidate with substantial proves in view.
It would be recalled that Odii and Senator 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.
Similarly, the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, had on 19th of July, remitted an appeal suit 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.
Onu said that Ogba would eventually lost out in the battle due to “time factor to file any action to compel INEC to substitute the name submitted by the PDP.
“In fact, as it stands today, AnyiChuks can discontinue his Appeal at the Supreme Court and abandon the ordered retrial and still remain as the candidate of PDP without any challenge.” he said.
FINALLY, IT IS END OF THE ROAD FOR OBINNA OGBA.
“Today, I went to the Court of Appeal for the judgment in an Appeal lodged by Sen. Obinna Joseph Ogba (the embattled Governorship aspirants) and was genuinely concerned about the outcome. I was concerned because his people often bragged about controlling the outcome of Court of Appeal decision and somehow, it turns out to be the case. However, while he boast of owning the Court of Appeal, he forgets the “God factor” in the affairs of men.
“Somehow, he always wins the appeal, but fails to reap any benefit therefrom. The first appeal, he had hoped that he will be declared as winner and even had a party two days before the judgment was read. He won, but was not declared. Instead, a retrial was ordered. Then, today, he as always, had bragged about how he will be declared the candidate by the Court of Appeal. However, God stepped in again and got the Court of appeal to dismiss the trial Court judgment without making any positive order for Obinna Ogba to benefit from. The Court granted him a victory without benefit.
“In its decision, the Court of Appeal held that there two primary elections for Governorship in Ebonyi State which held on the 29th May and 5th June, respectively. It went further to hold that where such is the case, the Court cannot select for the political party the primary election it prefers. Therefore, it is totally up to the political party to decide which of the primaries it want to rely on. You can see that no positive order was made to decide which of the two should be relied on.
“Now, with the decision of the Court of Appeal today, the decision is on the desk of PDP. The interesting part is that the party is out of time to pick and choose who it’s preferred candidate is. This is so as the time for substitution of candidates has closed and only a positive order directed at INEC can lead to the change of a name already submitted. At this juncture, Obinna Ogba is out of time to file any action to compel INEC for substitute the name submitted by the PDP (14 days don pass teh teh). In fact, as it stands today, AnyiChuks and discontinue his Appeal at the Supreme Court and abandon the ordered retrial and still remain as the candidate of PDP without any challenge.
“The jubilation is always coming from people who do not understand law or how it works. They can jubilate for winning an appeal that confers zero benefits on them – that’s their prerogative. However, as at right now, AnyiChuks is the undisputed Candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi State.
“There is no Court Order anywhere, asking INEC to replace him as a candidate. So, ignore their party and noise making“. Onu stated