The Supreme Court
yesterday explained its January 29 judgment in relation to the leadership
dispute in the Anambra chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court said the
judgment did not resolve the question relating to the legitimacy or otherwise
of the list of candidates submitted for the National Assembly election by the
factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, because the
issue was not before it.
By implication, the
Supreme Court ruled that Senators Stella Oduah and Andy Uba, and other PDP
lawmakers in Anambra State are to retain their seats.
It said although it
upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, to the effect
that the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the Anambra PDP was the
authentic body to run the party’s affairs, it did not say the Oguebego Exco
could assume the responsibilities of the party’s National Executive Committee
(NEC).
Justice John Okoro, who
read the lead ruling of a five-man bench, said the Supreme Court neither
ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept the list
of candidates for the National Assembly from the Oguebego-led Exco nor did it
direct INEC to conduct fresh elections into the National Assembly in the state.
The court’s position was contained
in its ruling yesterday on a motion by INEC, asking the court to clarify its
position in the judgment it gave on January 29.
INEC, in its motion filed
on February 8, asked the court whether, by virtue of the judgment, it should
issue certificate of return to the names contained in the list submitted by the
Oguebego-led Exco or conduct fresh elections.
The court dismissed the
motion filed and argued by Adegboyega Awomoolo (SAN) for INEC and upheld the
objection by lawyer to the Oguebego-led Exco, Chris Uche (SAN), on the grounds
that it lacked the jurisdiction to engage in the clarification of a judgment
that was straightforward and written in simple language.
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