A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, yesterday declared invalid the rescheduled primary election of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) in the state. This was as the court reorganised Chief Ifeanyi- Chukwuma Odii as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the PDP for the 2023 polls in the state.

The party had rescheduled and conducted a fresh primary election on June 4 and 5, respectively after the initial primary election held on May 28 and 29 that elected Odii the governorship candidate. The rescheduled exercise of June 4 and 5, however, elected Senator Obinna Ogba as another governorship candidate of the party. The Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman, yesterday declared the primary election that produced Senator Ogba in the state as invalid, as it was not monitored by the official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court said: “The rescheduled primary election was not done in line with the law; we therefore, recognised the primary election of May 28 and 29 that elected Odii as governorship candidate in Ebonyi State and that is our judgement. Meanwhile, The Court of Appeal in Abuja, earlier yesterday (Tuesday) ordered for trial de novo of the suit in respect of the Ebonyi PDP governorship ticket by the court of first instance, Federal High Court, Abakaliki. However, Mudi Erhenede, Counsel to Odii, thanked the Court for the judgement, saying: “The court has revisited the suit for a fair hearing and ruled that the rescheduled PDP primary election remains invalid.”