The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Monday experienced tension emerging from the delisting candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the list of candidates for the governorship and National Assembly elections.
The INEC had updated their website to show that the names of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party, Ifeanyi Ọdịi and Senator Igwe Nwagu were conspicuously missing from the updated list.
Also, the names of the three senatorial candidates of the party, Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Lazarus Ogbee (Ebonyi Central) and Senator Ama Nnachi (Ebonyi South) were missing from the list.
Five out of the six House of Representatives candidates were also not included in the updated list namely; Idu Igariwey (Afikpo North/South), Jerry Obasi (Ọhaozara/Onicha/Ivo), Ogbonnia Nwanne (Ikwo/Ezza South), Chukwuma Ofoke (Abakaliki/Izzi), and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi/Ohaukwu).
In the updated list INEC listed Mr Emmanuel Nwoke as the candidate of PDP for the Íshíelu/Ezza North constituency in place of Mr Obinna Nwachukwu who was listed as the candidate in the earlier list released in September.
Also, the Commission listed one Henry Udeh as the Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party(LP) for Ebonyi South instead of Mr Linus Okorie who emerged in a run-off primary conducted late last year.
The amended list was signed by the Secretary of INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthonya and published on the Commission’s website.
The Commission explained that the updated list was under various court orders which the commission was bound to abide by.
“The Commission published the final list of candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20th September 2022 and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4th October 2022 by the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections”, the statement accompanying the new list explained.
INEC noted that “after the said publication, the Commission was served Orders of Court in respect of the nomination of candidates for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections”
“It is worthy of note that the list of candidates was amended in Amendment No. 1 published on the Commission’s website on 3rd November 2022 under Court Orders and Death”
“By the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is bound to enforce the Orders of Court on the Nomination of candidates by political parties in the affected Constituencies”
“Consequently, the lists of candidates in respect of the attached Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are amended under the Orders of Court served on the Commission as of 21s December 2022 for upload on the Commission’s website”, the statement added.
The State Legal Adviser of the Party, Mudi Irhenede said he was not aware of the updated list and declined to comment when contacted.
He said:” You are just telling me about it right now. I am not aware. Let me find out”.
Also spokesperson to Mr Odi, the PDP Governorship candidate, Abịa Onyike declined to comment on the new list as he was not aware of its existence.
PDP in Ebonyi has been embroiled in crisis following the primaries held last year.
Two parallel primaries had held in the State with two governorship candidates, Ifeanyi Odii and Senator Obinna Ọgba emerging from the two primaries
The same situation occurred in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries.
The situation led to suits and counter-suits in various courts across the country as candidates attempted to outwit each other for the ticket.
There was also a battle for the State Chairmanship of the party between Mr Silas Ọnụ and Tochukwu Okorie.
It was not immediately clear which ruling or rulings led to the delisting of the candidates by INEC.
