By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The Court of Appeal sitting in Awka, the Anambra state capital on Friday declared popular business mogul Chief Valentine Ozigbo as the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 6 election in the State.

This is as the Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Sen. Ben Ndi Obi, has appealed to the electorate in Anambra State to support the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Valentine Ozigbo

It would be recalled that on July 5, 2021, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, who participate in a parallel PDP Governorship primary held in the state, instituted a suit against the party and its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to challenge Ozigbo’s candidature for the November 6, 2021 governorship election.

However, in its ruling, the Court of Appeal recognised the gubernatorial primary conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP on June 26, 2021 which was held at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, as lawful.

Besides, the appellate court was visibly upset with the 1st respondent and his lawyers for what it described as forum shopping.

The panel of Justices led by Honourable Justice Dongban Mensa, in its verdict ordered the INEC, to immediately publish Valentine Ozigbo’s name as the candidate of the PDP, the main opposition party on its website.

Also, the court awarded a cost of ten million against Senator Ugochukwu Uba for being “a meddlesome interloper.”

With the ruling, it has paved the way for the PDP to launch its promised “robust campaign of issues for the governorship of the south-eastern state.

Mr Alex Ejesieme, SAN, the lead Counsel to Mr Valentine Ozigbo, had argued in the appeal that the judgment of the Awka High Court delivered by Justice O. A. Nwabunike was faulty because it was based on a judgment by a Federal Capital Territory High Court which was voided by the Court of Appeal.

It would be recalled also that barely 24 hours after Senator Uba instituted the suit, Justice O. A. Nwabunike curiously granted an ex parte injunction restraining INEC from carrying out its constitutional duty and also abridged the time within which the defendants are legally obliged to file their defence from 42 days to only three days which was in violation of Order 16 Rule 1(2) of the Anambra State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019.

The high court judge went on to deny the defendants time to respond to the processes served on them and proceeded with the hearing of the plaintiff’s case, and delivering judgment against Ozigbo and the PDP.

And in a dramatic twist, Justice Nwabunike made away with the case file preventing the defendants from obtaining copies of the judgment for their appeal.

But, the PDP had slammed Nwabunike and labelled his ruling as “a black-market judgment which cannot stand in appeal”.

“Our party cautions Justice Nwabunike not to continue to test the will of the generality of the people of Anambra, whose mandate, being expressed in our candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, is being undermined, as such may trigger serious crisis in the state,” the PDP warned when it called on the National Judicial Commission and Nigerians to intervene in the matter.

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In his reaction, the PDP candidate Chief Ozigbo, who is the Frontline Governorship Contender and immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, said he remains a child of grace.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Inter-Party Affairs, Sen. Ben Ndi Obi, has appealed to the electorate in Anambra State to support the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Valentine Ozigbo.

Obi, a former senator for Anambra Central and a Board of Trustees member of the party, described Ozigbo as the right person to lead the state at this critical time in its history.

He said he was pleased that Ozigbo has reached out to all those who were displeased about his emergence as the candidate because of one reason or the other, and advised him not to rest on his oars until the final whistle is blown.

Obi applauded the choice of Senator Uche Ekwunife as the chairperson of Ozigbo’s campaign council, saying that he was confident that Ekwunife would lead the party to victory.

Speaking on the crisis rocking his party at the national level, the ex-lawmaker said there was no cause for alarm as according to him, the matter was being resolved, and the party would come out stronger and more united.
He added that the party’s disaffection would not in any way affect its chances at the Anambra poll.