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Udora Orizu in Abuja
A House of Representatives aspirant and spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) Ikenga Ugochinyere has hailed the decision of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, reaffirming its order barring the Imo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting fresh adhoc delegates or using any adhoc list.
In a statement, Ugochinyere urged the party leadership to save Imo PDP from extinction by taking a categorical stand and obey the Court order.
He also urged the National Secretary of the party drop all alleged attempts to use the unlawful Ad Hoc delegates list to conduct primaries as doing otherwise may ultimately lead to the party being excluded from the ballot in the State.
It will be recalled that the FCT High Court had on May 6, 2022 restrained both the PDP and INEC from recognizing the outcome of the 3-man ad hoc delegates election of the Party held on 30th April, 2022 or any other date an order the PDP failed to vacate in its application on May 17 leaving the party with no other options but to conduct all its primaries in the state with the statutory delegates.
Justice Bello Kawu granted the preservative order after listening to a motion exparte filed by Chidinma Nancy Uzomba, an aspirant cleared by the PDP to contest the election for Ideato Federal Constituency.
She had approached the court following the alleged stealing of the result sheets of the two local government areas and non-conduct of the delegates elections in the entire state.
In the suit No: FCT/HC/BW/CV/1450/2022, the claimant listed the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants. Justice Kawu after listening to submissions by counsel to the claimant, Daniel Edachi further restrained the PDP and the INEC from recognising any result emanating from the three-man ad hoc delegates election in Imo State and or including any person(s) purportedly elected in the said three-man ad hoc delegates election held on April 30, 2022 or any other date from voting or participating in the election of the candidates of PDP for elective offices in the forthcoming primary election of the party pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The Judge also granted an order restraining the PDP from allowing, recognising or giving effect to any purported delegates emanating from the stolen and or missing result sheets of Ideato North and Ideato South local government areas three-man ad hoc delegates election to vote in the primary election of the PDP in both local government areas for the purpose of electing candidates for the 2023 general election of the PDP in both local government areas for the purpose of electing candidates for the 2023 general elections pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The order further bars INEC from accepting from the PDP any list of candidates from Imo State who emerge from any primary election held with the list of the ill-fated delegates list.
