Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Deputy Governorship candidate of Chukwuma Odii, Chief Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, has boasted that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is set to receive decampees from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other opposition parties in the state.
Nwagu, who said that PDP has remained a formidable party in the state and as such, will win all the positions in the next year’s general election, disclosed this when he addressed stakeholders of the party at Chief Chukwuma Odii’s campaign office in Abakaiki, the state capital.
Igwe-Nwagu, the running mate of Odii, charged the PDP faithful to remain steadfast assuring them that the party will address the challenges confronting the state and nation.
He, however, reaffirmed that Chief Chukwuma Odii remains the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state contrary to speculation and propaganda in some quarters that Senator Obinna Ogba is the authentic governorship candidate of the party in the State. According to him, the rumours are the handiwork of enemies of the candidate and the PDP.
Earlier, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Odii campaign organization, Chief Abia Onyeike told Journalists that the rumours in some quarters that Senator Obinna Ogba was declared the party governorship candidate by the court was fake news.
He said, “I warmly welcome you all to this press briefing. The essence of this meeting is to clear the air on the two important Court Judgements made on Tuesday, the 19th of July, 2022, namely: the Court of Appeal, Abuja and the Federal Court in Abakaiki.
“Following these two Judgements, it has become more imperative that we inform the general public and our teeming supporters about the true situation of things regarding the two Court Judgements. It is equally important we make it abundantly clear that Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii remains the authentic Gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party( PDP) in Ebonyi State. This is contrary to the fake news being spread by mischief makers and hired foot-soldiers of falsehood and deceit.
“First of all, let me draw your attention to the summary of the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on 19th July, 2022. The Appeal Court remitted the appeal filed by Sen. Obinna Ogba to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the matter to another Judge of the Federal High Court for re-trial.
“On the other hand, the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki passed another judgement on a related issue. The FHC nullified the Governorship, Senate, House of Reps and House of Assembly Primaries held on the 4th and 5th of June, 2022 which purportedly produced Sen. Ogba and others as PDP candidates for the 2023 general elections in Ebonyi state.
“The Court declared the exercise as unconstitutional, illegal, null and void. The Court held that Sen. Ogba and other PDP aspirants in his lineup made use of fake delegates during the primaries as 90% of the authentic delegates had boycotted the primaries held on the 4th and 5th June 2022.
“Moreover, it was equally held that the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) did not monitor the primaries as required by the Electoral Act 2022.
“The Court upheld the authentic PDP primaries conducted on 28th and 29th of May, 2022 which produced Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and other candidates elected during the primaries.
“With this development, it means that Sen. Ogba and his fellow travellers have no genuine reason to jubilate as they reportedly did on Tuesday, 19th July 2022. We have gone beyond the stage of mundane/empty propaganda and orchestrated falsehood tailored to deceive the people on the streets.
“By this new judgement of the FHC delivered on 19th July 2022, nullifying the primaries conducted on 4th and 5th June 2022, on the grounds of impersonation, Sen. Ogba has no locus whatsoever to parade himself as a candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi state”, he said