By Chibota Edozie
The battle for the PDP governorship ticket in Enugu State shifted to the court on Thursday as an Enugu State High Court granted an ex-parte order restraining Senator Ayogu Eze from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the party pending the hearing and determination of a case filed by Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Ugwuanyi emerged as the PDP guber candidate from the primary elections held in the State on Monday.
However, the court in its order also restrained the PDP from recognising or submitting the name of any other person other than Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Enugu State for the February 2015 general elections.
The order was issued by Justice R. O Odogwu in Suit No. E/499/2014 with Senator Ayogu Eze and the PDP as the first and second Defendants, respectively.
The order granted upon hearing the submissions of Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje Esq. with Tochukwu Maduka Esq. Counsel for the Plantiff, reads:
“The 1st Defendant/Respondent (Senator Ayogu Eze) by himself, his principals, agents, supporters or any other person howsoever called is hereby restrained from holding himself out and/or parading himself and/or allowing himself to be held out and/paraded as the gubernatorial candidate of the 2ndDefendant for the February 2015 general election in Enugu State pending the determination of the Motion on Notice already filed in this suit/
“The 2nd Defendant/Respondent is hereby restrained from recognising or accepting the 1stDefendant as the person elected at the said gubernatorial primary election conducted by the 2ndDefendant in Enugu State on 8th December 2014, and/or the gubernatorial candidate of the 2ndDefendant for the February 2015 general elections in Enugu State or forwarding the name of the 1stDefendant to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the gubernatorial candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the February 2015 general election in Enugu State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed in the suit”.
The court adjourned till December 15, 2014for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.
It would be recalled that Senator Ayogu Eze had in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 9, 2014, after the PDP governorship primary election claimed he was the duly elected candidate of the PDP.
However, the Enugu State Chapter of the party had in a swift reaction on Wednesday, November 10, 2014 denounced his claim, insisting that only one gubernatorial primary election held in Enugu last Monday with Hon. Ugwuanyi as the duly elected candidate.
In a statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Okey Eze, the party said: “The PDP Governorship Primary Election Panel from Abuja headed by King Asara Asara duly conducted the election with the official delegates list, ballot papers, and result sheets all obtained from the party headquarters and announced a result declaring Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the victor, he having obtained a total of 937 votes out of the 983 votes cast. Hon. Ugwuanyi was, therefore, issued with a certificate of return”.
