associates *I cannot be suspended — Chris…
A FEDERAL High Court has ordered the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, to abide by results of the ward
and state congresses supervised by the national
secretariat of the party in the selection of its governorship
candidate. The ward and state congresses eventually
produced Comrade Tony Nwoye as the party’s flag bearer.
The court order is contrary to another interim order
obtained earlier this week by the Ejike Oguebego faction
of the party compelling the party and the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC to accept Senator
Andy Uba as the party’s flag bearer. Both orders were
issued by different justices of the Federal High Court,
Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Meanwhile, the PDP in a sharp reaction to
the increasingly murky legal developments,
yesterday, suspended Senator Andy Uba
and his junior brother, Chief Chris Uba,
from the party. Also suspended were some
of the leading associates of the Ubas,
among whom were Chief Oguebego,
chairman of the Chris Uba led faction, Mr.
Benjamin Udeozor, a former chairman of the same
faction, and Mrs Anthonia Nwankwu, the Southeast zonal
woman leader of the party.
The suspension it was learnt is preceding a plan to expel
the five from the party. But in swift reactions, Senator
Andy Uba told Vanguard on telephone that he was
ignorant of the action while his junior brother, Chris
asserted that the party cannot suspend him on the fact
that he is presently in court.
The court order on the PDP and INEC obtained by Mr. Paul
Azebo and Christopher Obijofor, purportedly delegates
from the ward congresses orgnaised by the national
secretariat, was got on August 16, ahead of the PDP
governorship primaries conducted last Saturday.
The plaintiffs who brought the national chairman of the
party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the PDP and INEC as
defendants prayed the court to compel the defendants to
uphold the candidature of whosoever emerged from the
governorship primaries supervised by the national
secretariat as the candidate of the party.
In the order given by Justice S. A. Aliyu it was ruled that:
*An Order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining
the 1st and 2nd Defendants from adopting, nominating,
selecting, holding out, submitting or in whatever manner
presenting to the 3rd Defendant any person as candidate
of the POP for the Anambra State Governorship election
fixed for November 2013 or any other date, except the
person that emerged from the POP State Congress/
gubernatorial primary election in which the Plaintiffs and
other elected ward delegates of the 1st Defendant
participated in, having been elected so to do, pending the
determination of .the Motion on Notice,
*An Order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining
the 3rd Defendant from accepting any nomination or
recognizing or howsoever dealing with any person as the
governorship candidate of the PDP for the forth coming
Governorship election in Anambra State, other than the
person elected from the State Congress/gubernatorial
primary election of the 1st Defendant conducted by the
panel set up by the National Working Committee of PDP
for the purpose of the said Gubernatorial primary election
scheduled to hold on August 24, 2013 or any other date
with the list bearing the name of the Plaintiffs and other
Ward Delegates that emerged from the ward Congress
held on August 12, 2013, pending the determination of the
Motion on Notice.”
R-L Sen Andy Uba and Chris Uba
Oguebego faction
Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Port
Harcourt is, today, expected to hear the two sides in the
case instituted by the Oguebego faction seeking to compel
the PDP to present Senator Uba as the party’s
governorship candidate.
Meanwhile, the PDP, yesterday, suspended the two Uba
brothers, Oguebego, Uduezor and Nwankwu from the
party.
The party in a letter signed by the Acting National
Secretary, Dr. Charles Aderemi Akitoye, based the
suspensions on the failure of the five to appear before the
NWC as directed over the allegation that they conducted
parallel congresses of the party against party regulations.
The letter which was addressed individually to them and
dated August 29, read: “the National Working Committee,
NWC at its 353rd meeting held on Wednesday, August 28,
2013 reviewed the happenings in Anambra PDP regarding
the Anambra Primary Election.
“It was noted that you organized a parallel state congress
which was unauthorised by the party contrary to section
58 (1) a, b, c, f, h and j of the PDP constitution (2012 as
amended). As a result of this, you were invited to meet
with the NWC on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 for fair
hearing, but you did not appear.
“In view of the seriousness of the issues involved, you are
hereby suspended from the party and the case referred to
the appropriate Disciplinary Committee for further
necessary action”.
Reacting to the development, Chief Chris Uba in a session
with newsmen last night said: “I came to Abuja on
Wednesday evening from Enugu and I was given a letter
from the PDP, and as soon as I read the letter, I knew
where they were going to. I did not do the congress and I
was not a party chairman in the state.
“So, I rushed to court yesterday (Wednesday) and the
court asked us to come on Friday. I was surprised to hear
that I have been suspended. I want us to respect
democracy and the rule of law. We must protect the rule
of law and the judiciary.
“Why the rush in suspending me and the five others?
There were more than a million PDP members at the
congress. They should have suspended all of us.”
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