By CHARLES IWUOHA

A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, on Tuesday affirmed Dr. Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in the state

The court ruled that the primaries election held on May 28 and 29, 2022, which produced Odii still remained valid.

It will be recall that the party rescheduled and conducted fresh primaries on June 4 and 5 and produced Senator Obinna Ogba after its initial primaries in Ebonyi on May 28 and 29 that elected Odii a governorship candidate.

The court presided over by Justice Fatun Riman held that the repeated primaries in the state was invalid as it was not monitored by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The rescheduled primaries were not done in line with the law; we therefore, recognised the primaries of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi and that is our judgment,” the court said.

The appeal court had earlier on Tuesday July 19, 2022 in Abuja ordered for re-trial of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP guber ticket by the court of first instance, Federal High Court, Abakaliki.

The order was made to enable the appellant, who claimed to be in interested party to be heard pursuant to the principle of natural justice expressed in the legal maxim, “audi alterem partem” which enjoins that the other party must be heard.

Speaking with journalists after the court sitting in Abakaliki, Mr. Mudi Erhenede, Counsel to Odii, lauded the court for the judgment.

“The court has revisit the suit for a fair hearing and ruled that the rescheduled PDP primaries remains invalid.

“So, the court in his wisdom has ruled that the business of June 4 and 5 primaries was not done in line with the law and off course recognised the party primaries of May 28 and 29,” he said.