By Emma Ogbuehi
A High Court sitting in Awka has declined to renew an order it granted embattled litigant Senator Ugochukwu Uba on the 5th of July, 2021 seeking the non-recognition of Valentine Ozigbo as the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State.
The said order, initially granted by Justice Obiora A. Nwabunike, going by Order 40, Rule 3(3) of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules could only subsist for 7 days after which the Court may choose to renew it or it stands abated as a result.
The Court however refused to renew the order on Monday, July 12, 2021. Thus, the order which restrained “the Peoples Democratic Party from presenting, receiving, parading or accepting Valentine Ozigbo as the authentic Governorship Candidate for Anambra State” stands vacated, lawyers told our reporter.
According to them, the significance of the Court’s refusal to grant a renewal of the said order means in the eye of the law, Valentine Ozigbo remains the recognised PDP Candidate for the November 6 Anambra Governorship election.
The news of the vacation of the said order is eliciting wide jubilation among supporters of Ozigbo, across Anambra State.
It would be recalled that on June 26, 2021, Ozigbo emerged the flag bearer of the PDP in a keenly contested primary election conducted by the National Working Committee of the PDP and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Meanwhile PDP stalwarts across the country continue to congratulate Ozigbo, who is regarded as one of the brightest entrants into politics in the South East. Top leaders like former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, former Senate President Pius Anyim Anyim, Bayelsa’s Governor Douye Diri, Enugu’s Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Senator Stella Oduah, and many others have congratulated Ozigbo and vowed to support his candidacy and the quest to reclaim Anambra for the party.