Anambra PDP Crisis: INEC To Stick With Court Judgment

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will comply with a high court judgement that dismissed the sacking of the Anambra state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) executives.

At the sitting of the federal high court in Abuja on June 9, Olukayode Adeniyi, a judge, dismissed three applications filed by the national office of the PDP and two others.

The applications sought to stay a judgment sacking the party’s executive council in Anambra state, pending the determination of the appeal.

The June 9 judgment, which they sought to stay was on a suit marked: HC/CV/774/2021 filed by Samuel Anyakolah — for himself and all local government chairmen and ward executives that emerged from the Anambra PDP congress conducted on November 28 and December 1, 2017 under the supervision of Chukwudi Umeaba, as acting chairman state caretaker committee.

The judge held that the three applicants — the PDP, Ndubisi Nwobu and Uchenna Obiora — failed to make out a case to warrant the grant of their application that sought to stay the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.

Adeniyi said the applicants did not show that the non-staying of the judgment would either render their appeals nugatory or make it impossible for the party to conduct its primary for the forthcoming governorship election.

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The judge voided all activities engaged in by the party since June 9 when the judgment was delivered, including the elections it conducted on June 10 and 11 to elect a three-man ad-hoc ward delegate that would participate in the voting at the primary of the PDP scheduled for June 26, 2021.

He declared among others, that “all congresses, designations or appointments made by the first defendant (the PDP), with respect to the positions of the state chairman, EXCO members and local government chairmen, as contained in pages 14,15 and 16 of the Southeast zonal congress brochure of 6th March 2021 are hereby nullified and set aside.”

The judge ordered the PDP to henceforth, recognise and adopt only the list of the already inaugurated party officers and delegates that emerged from the Anambra PDP congresses conducted on November 28, 2017 and December 1, 2017 validated by Grace Bent Ward Congress Appeal Panel report and Ukpai Ukairo local government appeal panel report, under the supervision of Chukwudi Umeaba, who shall continue to act in the capacities for which they were duly elected.

In a letter addressed to the PDP national chairman and dated June 25, INEC said it has received the court judgement dismissing the sacking of the Anambra PDP executives.

The letter signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the secretary to the commission, informed the PDP national chairman that INEC would comply with the June 9 judgement.

“The Commission has been served with the judgement of the High Court of the FCT delivered on 9th June, 2021 in suit No. FCT/HC/774/2012- Between Samuel Anyakorah vs PDP & ors regarding the Anambra State PDP executives,” the letter reads.

“Consequent upon the above, the Commission wishes to intimate you on the need to comply with same. Accept the assurance of the Commission’s high regards, please.”

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