|
Listen to article
|
It has been a case of tumltous political movements for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Ebonyi State as a tough nut has been presented to them to crack as they have to answer the question of who its validly recognized governorship candidate is between the duo of Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odi and Senator Obinna Ogba.
There has also been the controversial case of a serious dispute over the validity of the two parallell primaries which were held on May 28 to 29 that produced Dr Odii and Senator Obinna Ogba on June 4 and 5, 2022 respectively.
Read Also: Enugu 2023: Mbah Will Sustain Ugwuanyi’s Legacies – PDP
While Dr Odii had emerged in the first primary held on May 28 to 29, 2022 that was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Senator Ogba has been given a certificate of return by the PDP.
As it is in the political party, while Odii insists he was legally elected, Ogba has the PDP’s certificate of return.
The 3-man delegates list used for the first primary was the product of the state PDP Congress of May 7, 2022 which was eventually recognised by the PDP National Working Committee, NWC.
The primaries had also been authorised by the PDP NWC, were peacefully conducted with the INEC monitoring the exercise in line with the Electoral Guidelines and the 2022 Electoral Act as Odii’s name was thereafter forwarded to INEC on June 10.
However, the national leadership of the PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba had openly cancelled the May 28 and 29 primaries exercise while claiming that the panel that conducted the election was not properly constituted.
Odii approached a Federal High Court in Abakaliki which in a judgement on June 7 upheld his election as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
However, the PDP ignored the judgement, and issued Ogba a certificate of return as the recognised candidate of the party in the state.
