More On PDP Anambra State Primaries

Aggrieved former aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Anambra State, have written a letter of protest to Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging him and the Commission to ignore the candidacy of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Senator Emma Anosike, in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State.
In a letter signed on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants by theirleader, Chief Chuma Nwofor, they claimed that selection of the Soludo/Anosike ticket was against a subsisting court order and against the guideline set by PDP for the election of the party’s governorship candidate.
The letter of protest dated October 19, 2009, titled, “the illegal,unlawful and unconstitutional selection of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the Governorship Candidate of PDP for the 2010 Anambra State gubernatorial election,” said the selection was against a court order by Ekwulobia High Court of Justice, which “unequivocally restrained PDP either by themselves, their servants, from conducting the primary election on October 2, 2009, and the suit was adjourned to October 12, for hearing.”

The petition further said another court in suit AG/450M/ 2009between Alphonus Igwebuike and two others in the state, restrained PDP from conducting the said primary election and the suit was adjourned to October 7.Accordingly, the protest letter to INEC noted that the election of Soludo in Abuja, on October 9, 2009, was against the guideline issued by PDP for the election of the governorship candidate and therefore, “all resolutions, election, selection or anything whatsoever following from it are null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.Quoting Article 17.2 (b) of the PDP, the letter of protest noted that the selection of Soludo breached the party's constitution, especially clause No. 6 of the PDP guideline for the 2009 Governorship election, which said that the venue of the special state congress must name the venue of the election, at least seven days before the commencement of the election.The letter to INEC also said that Article 17 (1) which the NWC of PDP used to select Soludo cannot be exercised in a vacuum, but in conjunction with Article (2) of the party's constitution.Also, the group, quoting the 2006 Electoral Act Section 85 (1), said INEC ought to be given 21 days notice to observe the selection of Soludo and stating that where there were obvious violation of PDP constitution, guideline and the Electoral Act, that INEC should ignore Soludo's candidacy.

By Chuks Okocha in Abuja