Ex-Abia PDP Chairman Wants Court to Nullify Ahiwe’s Guber Ticket
Ambrose Okechukwu Ahiwe
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Former Chairman of the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Emma Nwaka has dragged the party to court seeking to nullify the special primary election that produced Ambrose Okechukwu Ahiwe as replacement governorship candidate.
He joined as co-defendants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the new gubernatorial flag bearer, Ahiwe, whose candidacy is now a subject of dispute.
The national leadership of PDP had on February 4, 2023 organised a special primary election to nominate a fresh governorship candidate following the death of Prof Eleazar Uchenna Ikonne.
The chairman of the special primary election committee and Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki had declared Ahiwe winner, saying that he scored 469 votes or 91 per cent of the 516 ballots cast by delegates. But Senator Nwaka, who was among the governorship aspirants that vied for the ticket is contending that Ahiwe was not qualified to participate in the special primary having not participated in the first governorship primary held on May 25, 2022, which was won by late Prof Ikonne.
In the Originating Summons of the suit dated February 16, 2023, filed by his counsel, Obi C. Nwakor of Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN & Co., the plaintiff wants the court to determine if Ahiwe was duly nominated as governorship candidate having not originally aspired for the ticket.
The plaintiff wants the court to determine if “fresh primary” as used in Section 33 of the Electoral Act for a political party to replace a deceased candidate implies fresh nominations and participation of new aspirants, who did not participate in the original primary.
Arising from the above issue, the plaintiff held that if the court so determine that the nomination and participation of the third defendant (Ahiwe) was a violation of Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022 the fresh primary should be declared a nullity.
He wants the court to make an order compelling PDP (second defendant) to conduct a fresh primary where only the governorship aspirants that participated in the original primary of May 25, 2022 from which the late Ikonne emerged, should be eligible to participate.
The plaintiff further stated that the Court could in the alternative invoke Section 84(13) and issue an order compelling INEC not to accept Ahiwe as the governorship candidate of PDP for Abia State in the 2023 general poll.
Since last May the ruling party in Abia has been raking controversies over the nomination of its 2023 governorship flag bearer with aggrieved party members going to court to challenge the party’s choice of candidate and the processes that led to his nomination.
It was just on February 15, 2023 that the Supreme Court finally resolved the controversial three-man delegate list which PDP used in the governorship primary that produced the late governorship candidate as well as other candidates.
The apex court held that the list was valid thereby strengthening the party’s hand as the same list was also used in the special primary that produced Ahiwe as replacement governorship candidate.
The ruling party is equally engrossed in internal crisis over the replacement of the original deputy governorship candidate, Hon Okey Igwe, who was chosen by the late Prof Ikonne to jointly fly the party’s flag.
Igwe is embittered and has warned the party in a statement last week that he would not accept his replacement as deputy governorship candidate considering the huge resources he has invested in the party only to be shabbily treated.
