Anambra Guber: Court Declares Ozigbo PDP Candidate

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has declared Valentine Ozigbo as the validly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

A three-member panel presided over by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, unanimously upheld the two appeals filed by Ozigbo and the PDP (CA/AW/223/2021 and CA/AW/234/2021).

The appellate court, in two judgments delivered on Friday, set aside the July 19, 2021, judgment by Justice Justice A.O. Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court sitting at Awka, declaring Senator Ugochukwu Uba as the authentic candidate of the PDP in the governorship election.

The court also awarded N10 million cost against Senator Uba.

Recall that Justice Obiora Nwabunike of the Awka High Court had barred Ozigbo from parading himself as the PDP candidate.

Ruling on suit No. A/230/2021, the judge also prohibited the PDP from presenting Ozigbo as its candidate.

Uba claimed that the congress at which Ozigbo emerged was convened in disobedience to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, in violation of Section 87 of the Electoral Act, sections 25 and 50 of the PDP Constitution and directive of INEC dated 22nd June 2021 which mandated PDP to comply with the Abuja High Court order issued by the Honourable Justice A.O. Adeniyi.

Uba further claimed that the primary election conducted in the Anambra State congress held at Saint Paul University, Awka at which he (Uba) emerged winner and PDP governorship candidate with 275 votes was the proper party primary election in full obedience to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, compliance with Section 87 of the Electoral Act, sections 25 and 50 of the PDP Constitution.