A full panel of Nigeria’s Supreme Court of
Nigeria today in Abuja sacked the entire
contingent of senators and members of
the House of Representatives from
Anambra State. The decision swept away a host
of lawmakers from Anambra State who were
illegally foisted on the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) by former President Goodluck Jonathan
and his wife, Patience Jonathan.
The court’s ruling ended the senatorial tenure of
former Aviation Minister and first term senator,
Stella Oduah, and aborted the legislative career
of former presidential aide, Andy Uba. Also
affected are members of the House of
Representatives elected on the ticket of the PDP.
Chris Uba, younger brother to Mr. Andy Uba, and
Prince Emeka are expected to take over seats
vacated by Mr. Andy Uba and Stella Oduah
respectively. Former Senator Annie Okonkwo is in
line to represent the PDP in a forthcoming
election to fill a senatorial seat held by Uche
Ekwunife who was sacked last December by the
Court of Appeal.
Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court upheld an
earlier decision by Justice Chukwu of the Federal
High Court laying out the proper procedures for
selection of the PDP’s legislative candidates. In
December 2014, the Federal High Court had ruled
that it was only the constitutionally recognized
state party leadership led by Ejike Oguebego that
could organize the party primaries. Despite that
ruling, former President Jonathan and his wife
authorized a rival faction of the state chapter of
the PDP to hold parallel primaries in the state.
The Jonathan-backed faction then submitted a
list of candidates that were not legally elected
as the party’s candidates in the Senate and
House of Reps.
A legal source familiar with the sharp moves told
SaharaReporters this morning that, following the
questionable primaries, the illegally chosen
candidates then offered financial inducement to
a panel of the Court of Appeal which set aside
the decision of the Federal High Court, claiming
that the judge had no jurisdiction and that the
lawsuit was an abuse of court process.
But today’s Supreme Court ruling reaffirmed the
High Court’s verdict, declaring that the Ejike
Oguebego-led PDP executive had the sole right to
hold the primaries in Anambra State.
Today’s
ruling sacked all PDP Federal legislators because
the Oguebego-led executive had not overseen
their selection to represent the party in the
March 2015 election.
On December 6 and 7, 2014, both the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and the PDP’s National Working
Committee had taken part in primaries conducted
by Mr. Oguebego’s executive. At the end of the
exercise, both INEC and PDP’s National Working
Committee declared the following winners: Chris
Uba for Anambra South, Prince John Emeka for
Anambra North, and Annie Okonkwo for Anambra
Central. They were going to represent the party
at the 2015 elections before the Court of Appeal
upended them, ordering that Andy Uba, Stella
Oduah and Uche Ekwunife be accepted as the
PDP’s candidates.
Today’s judgment of the Supreme Court, which
upheld Justice Chukwu’s ruling, means that the
primaries earlier sanctioned by the High Court
remain the only legitimate ones held by the PDP
in Anambra ahead of the 2015 general elections.
During adoption of briefs at the Supreme Court,
INEC’s lawyer, Mr. Liman, had conceded the
electoral commission’s error by apologizing on
behalf of INEC.
C.T. Chinwuba, a lawyer to Prince John Emeka,
told SaharaReporters after today’s Supreme
Court verdict that the judgment had sorted out
the issue of the PDP’s state primaries. He
expressed satisfaction that the court’s ruling had
clarified the question of who constitutes the
legitimate body to hold primaries in the state and
also laid to rest the issue of “parallel primaries.”
In December 2015, a panel of the Court of
Appeal had removed Senator Uche Ekwunife,
citing irregularities with the process that
produced her as a candidate of the PDP. The
appellate court declared her a product of illegal
primaries. SaharaReporters had revealed before
the elections that then First Lady Patience
Jonathan had ordered that Mrs. Ekwunife be
imposed as a candidate . Mrs. Jonathan had then
ordered billionaire businessman, Arthur Eze, to
ensure that Mrs. Ekwunife was both accepted as
the party candidate and declared winner of the
senatorial election.
Mr. Chinwuba described Mr. Andy Uba and Ms.
Stella Oduah as renegades who chose not to
operate within the laws in the state party
structures.
Sahara reporters.
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