An Orlu High Court, presided over by Justice L. C. Azuama has thrown away the suit filed by Osita Oparah and 3 others, challenging the Ward Ad Hoc Delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo State, which emerged from the Ward Congress Election held on the 1st of November, 2014.
Considering the preliminary objection filed by the PDP and its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, challenging the competence of the suit and the injunctive order made against the party, the Court upheld the submissions of the learned counsel for the PDP and its National Chairman that the Court does not have jurisdiction to entertain the suit which is not cognizable under Section 87: 9, Subsections 9 and 10 of the Electoral Act, being a matter that bothers on pre-primary matters.
According to the Court, the case which was founded on a purported letter written by Chief Linus Iroha, State Organizing Secretary of the party failed, being that the said Organizing Secretary denied the contents of the letter and averred that it never emanated from him.
In holding that the case has failed, the Court agreed that the suit is not only justiciable but not maintainable.
It therefore set aside its earlier Order that the PDP should not make use of the delegate list of the Ward Congress held on the 1st of November, 2014 and also held that the Claimants, Osita Oparah and Co, does not have the locus standi to institute the action in the first place, being a matter that bothers on the internal affairs of the party.
The Court awarded N10, 000. 00 cost, in favour of PDP and its National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.
Consequent upon this order, the party has advised its aspirants, delegates and members to disregard and ignore any other purported list published or circulated in newspapers and rely only on the list certified, authorised and published by the PDP National Secretariat for the purposes of party primaries.
