Ebonyi Guber: Odii Remains PDP Candidate, Says Group

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

A group, Anyichuks Grassroots Organisation of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Mr. Ifeanyi Odii, has reiterated that Odii remains the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state.

Briefing journalists by the Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Mr. Abia Onyike, the group noted that the speculation that Appeal Court in Abuja has nullified the governorship primary that produced Odii “is a mundane and empty propaganda tailored to deceive the people in the streets.”

Onyike said: “The essence of this meeting

is to clear the air on the two important court judgements made July 19, 2022,  by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, and the  Federal High Court in Abakaliki.

“Following these two judgements, it has become more imperative that we inform the public and our teeming supporters about the true situation of things regarding the two court judgements. It is equally important we make it abundantly clear that Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii remains the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi State. This is contrary to the fake news being spread by mischief makers and hired foot-soldiers of falsehood and deceit.

“First of all, let me draw your attention to the summary of the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on July 19, 2022. The Appeal Court remitted the appeal filed by Sen. Obinna 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.”

He added: “On the other hand, the Federal High Court in Abakaliki passed another judgement on a related issue. The court nullified the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly primaries held on June 4 and 5, 2022, which purportedly produced Ogba and others as PDP candidates for the 2023 general election in Ebonyi State.

“The court declared the exercise as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. The court held that Ogba and other PDP aspirants in his line up made use of fake delegates during the primaries, as 90 percent of the authentic delegates had boycotted the primaries held on June 4 and 5, 2022.

“Moreover, it was equally held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not monitor the primaries as required by the Electoral Act 2022.

“The court upheld the authentic PDP primaries conducted on May 28 and 29, 2022, which produced Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odi and other candidates elected during the primaries.

“With this development, it means that Ogba and his fellow travelers have no genuine reason to jubilate as they reportedly did on July 19, 2022. We have gone beyond the stage of mundane/empty propaganda and orchestrated falsehood tailored to deceive the people in the streets.”

Onyike added that Ogba has no locus to parade himself as the candidate of PDP in the state, stressing that: “Anybody who parades himself as the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State or any other candidate for that matter would be seen and perceived as an impostor, meddlesome interloper and a political  miscreant and may be liable for criminal contempt of court.”