No Court Order Restraining Submission Of Ugwuanyi’s Name To INEC – Enugu PDP

Ifeanyi UgwuanyiThe Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied an existing order restraining it from submitting the name of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as its flag bearer for the 2015 governorship election in the state.

It said this while reacting to reports in a section of the media that an Abuja Federal High Court had on Thursday ordered PDP not to submit Ugwuanyi’s name to INEC.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Okey Eze, the party said, “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no injunction whatsoever restraining the PDP from submitting the name of its validly elected candidate, Hon. I feanyi Ugwuanyi, to the INEC.

“For the avoidance of doubts, there are two cases on the Enugu governorship primary pending before Justice S.E Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja and both cases were heard on Thursday, December 18, 2014. The first is Sen. Ayogu Eze vs. PDP in which Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuany was joined following an application by his counsel, P.I.N Ikwueto (SAN).

“The second case is Dr. Samuel Onyishi vs. the PDP.

“The fact is that Sen. Ayogu Eze’s initial application for an ex-parte order to restrain the PDP from submitting Ugwuanyi’ name to INEC was refused by the Court as he was asked to put the PDP and INEC on Notice.

“At the resumption of the case on Thursday, December 18, 2014, the PDP, through its counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), filed a preliminary objection to the effect that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the suit, relying on the case of Senator Lado vs. the Congress for Progressive Change where the Supreme Court held that where there are parallel primaries, the party, and not the court, is to decide which primary to accept.

“The preliminary objection also raises the issue that Sen. Ayogu Eze had no locus standi to contest the outcome of the primary election since he did not participate in it”.