By Emma Ogbuehi
Valentine Ozigbo Campaign Organisation (VCO) has described as fake and unfounded, a certain news item circulated across social media platforms on Monday, July 5, 2021 purporting that a Court of Appeal had nullified Valentine Ozigbo’s victory at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial party primary. VCO dismissed the report as misleading and lacking in credibility.
The report had claimed that a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday ruled that the June 26 governorship primary election held at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women Development Center overseen by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP was null and void.
But in a swift reaction, Val Ayika, the Director of Strategy and Media of the Valentine Ozigbo Campaign Organisation, labelled the unsigned report as fake, malicious, and a gross misrepresentation of what transpired in court.
According to Ayika, a lawyer, “it is not within the purview of the Court of Appeal to issue such a statement”. He further stated that Ozigbo won the party’s primary, which was adjudged to be the most transparent, free, and fair primary election ever conducted in the history of the PDP.
“The primary election was carried out in compliance with all relevant enabling laws and was organised by the party’s National Working Committee and monitored by INEC officials and security agencies,” the statement read.
After winning the primary election, Ozigbo was on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, was issued his certificate of return by the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Ayika, a two-time federal lawmaker, explained that the PDP had earlier filed a notice of appeal with two applications at the Court of Appeal.
“The party had accompanied its notice of appeal with two applications at the Court of Appeal seeking ‘a motion of abridgement of time’ and ‘a motion for stay of execution’,” Ayika revealed.
“Following the withdrawal of the said motions by the party, the appellate court struck them as is usually the practice in our jurisprudence. The Court of Appeal then directed the parties to file their respective briefs of argument for the matter to be heard and determined,” the statement added.
The VCO release advised all well-meaning members of the party, the good people of Anambra State, and teeming supporters of Mr Ozigbo to disregard the fake news in its entirety.
It stressed that the PDP is the first party to submit its candidate’s details for the November 6 governorship election to INEC and the only party positioned to deliver good governance to the people of Anambra State.
Valentine Ozigbo, a corporate titan, made history when he won the keenly contested primary election of his party by scoring the majority of the votes from a lineup of 16 other aspirants. He defeated airline CEO, Obiora Okonkwo and Senator Uche Ekwunife, who came second and third, respectively.
Ozigbo resigned from his role as the President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc in March 2020 to dedicate the next chapter of his life to public service. He has been rated the candidate to beat in the upcoming November election as his brilliant brand persona has endeared him to the people of Anambra.