The Judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division Friday, overturning an earlier High Court judgment that sacked Anambra State PDP Executives led by Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, has been greeted with applause from key quarters within the party.
The appeal in the case of PDP vs Samuel Anyakorah and others, was against the judgment of Justice Adeniyi of FCT High Court delivered on the June 9, 2021 wherein the court, against the earlier and subsisting judgment of Honourable Justice Musa of the same FCT High Court, recognised Samuel Anyakorah and his group as the valid executive committee of the party in Anambra state.
The three man panel of Justices led by Honourable Justice Ada upturned the decision of Justice Adeniyi, for, among other reasons, the lack of territorial jurisdiction to hear and determine a matter which cause of action arose in Anambra State, that is beyond the territorial boundaries of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In his reaction to the judgment, the PDP candidate for the Anambra Governorship election of November 6, Mr Valentine Ozigbo described the ruling as one that gives the party comfort, saying the PDP is on the side of justice and that justice will prevail in the other matters before the courts with regards to his candidacy.
A statement on Friday, signed by Aziza Uko, the Media Advisor of the Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, VCO Campaign Organisation said the judgement will also ensure that justice also prevail in the primary conducted by the National Working Committee of our party.
“Valentine Ozigbo is grateful for all the support and encouragement, and goodwill he has received since he won the primary, especially from people of Anambra State, PDP Governors, and the leadership of the party at ward, local government, state and national levels.
“We are resolute in our resolve to actualise our grand vision to rescue Ndi Anambra from the abysmal All Grand Progressives Alliance (APGA) government come November.
“PDP remains the only platform positioned to take power from APGA and we are confident that soon all litigations will be left in the past and we will march in our quest to deliver positive transformation to the people of Anambra,” the statement ended.
Meanwhile, the National Secretariat of the PDP in an earlier statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the party revealed that the judgment that has just been set aside is the “superstructure” on which the Justice O. A. Nwabunike judgement pending before the Court of Appeal in Awka Division is based on.
In the judgement delivered on July 19, 2021, Nwabunike had ruled that Ugochukwu Uba was the governorship candidate of the PDP, based on the judgment of Justice Adeniyi delivered on June 9, 2021, and had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the former senator’s name.
This matter is now before the Court of Appeal Awka Division.
