… Wants his name on the ballot papers

FROM GODWIN TSA Abuja

The confusion trailing the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State continued yesterday, as factional candidate for the slot, Tony Nwoye, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and his political platform before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

In a suit he filed through his counsel, Chief Yusuf Ali (SAN), Nwoye, is asking the court to mandate the INEC to place his name and particulars on the ballot papers and other necessary documents to be used for the conduct of the election by the first defendant.

Meanwhile, Senator Andy Ubah and Prince Nickolas Ukachukwu, yesterday applied to be joined as parties to the suit.

However, Justice Elvis Chukwu could not proceed with the case in view of an observation by counsel to Ukachukwu, Prince Orji Nwafor-Orizu, that a High Court in Port Harcourt, had yesterday morning, disqualified Nwoye from contesting the Anambra gubernatorial poll.

Consequently, Justice Chukwu adjourned the matter till Friday to study the details of the said judgment.

The plaintiff further urged the court to decide “whether having regards to the second defendant (PDP) constitution and its electoral guidelines, the second defendant having issued certificate of return to the plaintiff as the winner of its governorship primaries for Anambra State and forwarded, presented and nominated his name to the first defendant as its governorship candidate for the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election, the second defendant has the vires/power, to present/ nominate or forward the name of any other person to the first defendant as its candidate for the November, 2013 Anambra State governorship election.”

He is also asking for “a declaration that having regards to the provisions of the second defendant’s constitution and its electoral guideline for primary election 2010, the first defendant is without vires, power or authority to reject his name, accept, receive or recognize any other person, other than the plaintiff as the second defendant’s governorship candidate for the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election.”


Source: The Sun