The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the jurisdiction of an Abuja Division of the Fedral High Court to entertain the suit filed by Senator Ayogu Eze claiming to be the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP in Enugu State.
The party, through its lawyer Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit which it said was within the purview of a domestic affair of a political party.
Ikpeazu is also representing the National Chairman of PDP, Adamu Mu’azu, who is the 2nd defendant in the case, while PDP is the 1st defendant.
The 1st and 2nd defendants told the court that the plaintiff emerged through a kangaroo primary election which they said was not certified by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party.
According to their lawyer, under section 87 of the Electoral Act, only primary election sanctioned by the NWC of the party could be deemed valid.
Two PDP gubernatorial aspirants in the state, Senator Ayogu Eze and Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, claimed that they were the duly elected candidates to fly the governorship flag of the party.
Both of them told the court that they emerged from parallel primary elections they said were monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Whereas Ayogu Eze argued through his lawyer, Mr. Yusuf Ali, SAN, Ugwuanyi addressed the court through his own lawyer, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, SAN.
Ayogu Eze had soon after the party’s state governorship primary lodged the substantive suit before the court but Ugwuanyi applied and was joined as an interested party.
Incidentally, Ugwuanyi was recognized as the candidate of the party by the national leadership of the PDP and his name was duly submitted to INEC, which was made the third defendant in the suit by Eze are the PDP, its National Chairman, Mr. Adamu Mu’azu and INEC.
Meanwhile, all the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit.
Justice Evoh Chukwu later adjourned the case to April 2 for judgement as to who is the authentic candidate of the party.
