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Appeal Court’s ruling on Anambra executive committee a victory for democracy – PDP

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Kola-Ologbondiyan

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday expressed happiness at the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which restored the party’s executive committee in Anambra State.

A three-man panel of the appeal court led by Justice Stephen Adah had earlier on Friday quashed the sack of the PDP executive committee in Anambra.

A member of PDP in the state, Samuel Anyakolah, had filed a suit at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, claiming that the party’s national leadership arbitrarily imposed the state chairman and other national delegates on members at the South-East zonal congress held on March 6.

In his ruling, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi held that the PDP violated its constitution in the conduct of the congress, and the subsequent appointments.

He later nullified all the congresses appointments that resulted from the processes.

But Justice Adah, who read the lead judgment on Friday, upheld the appeals filed against the lower court’s judgment.

He held that the court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to adjudicate in the matter.

In its reaction to the ruling, the PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, described the judgment as a victory for democracy and the majority of the people of Anambra who are fully behind the party’s governorship candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, in the state.

READ ALSO: Appeal Court nullifies judgment dissolving Anambra PDP exco

Ozigbo, who won the primary election by the party’s national leadership, was omitted from the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a few weeks ago.

A court in Anambra later ordered the commission to recognize one Ugochukwu Uba as the party’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in the state.

The statement read: “This ruling gives us comfort that the PDP and our candidate, Valentine Ozigbo are on the right side of justice because the judgment that has just been set aside is the superstructure upon which certain individuals who did not participate in our primary are seeking to distract our party and the people of Anambra State ahead of the election.

“With this ruling, the PDP is confident of justice in other matters pending in court, and urges our teeming members and supporters to remain united in our determination to work with the people of Anambra to achieve their aspiration which they have vested in our party and candidate, especially as we set to commence a robust campaign in Anambra State.”

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