By Emma Ogbuehi
The Valentine Ozigbo Campaign Organisation has hailed the ruling of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division against the judgment of Justice Adeniyi of FCT High Court delivered on the June 9, 2021 which recognised Samuel Anyakorah and his group as the valid executive committee of the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state.
The three-man panel of Justices led by Honourable Justice Ada upturned the decision of Justice Adeniyi, for, among other reasons, lacking the 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.
“This ruling gives us comfort that our party, the PDP is on the side of justice and that justice will prevail in the other matters before the courts with regards to the candidacy of Valentine Ozigbo and the primary conducted by the National Working Committee of our party,” a statement signed by Aziza Uko, the Media Advisor of the VCO Campaign Organisation, read.
It added; “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.
The release maintained that the PDP remains the only platform positioned to take power from APGA, expressing confidence that soon all litigations will be left in the past and the party will march in its quest to deliver positive transformation to the people of Anambra.
The PDP in an earlier statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, had stressed that the judgement 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 and had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the former senator’s name.
The matter is before the Court of Appeal Awka Division.