A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant for November 6 Anambra State election, Zeribe Ezeanuna, has sued the party for wrongful exclusion.
Also joined in the suit were the PDP National chairman, Chief Uche Secondus and the Independent National Electoral Commission for allegedly forcing him to pay N5m compliance fee as precondition for participating in the June 26, 2021 PDP primary.
The suit which is pending at the Federal High Court Awka, also has the PDP National Organizing Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd), and the Anambra State chairman of the party, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, as defendants.
Ezeanuna is also claiming N50m from each of the four defendants as damages for infringing on his human rights and discrimination on the basis of gender.
Lawyer for the plaintiff, Jezie Ekejiuba on behalf of his client asked the court to grant him an ex parte order, for interim injunction restraining them, their privies, servants, agents and those they represent from proceeding to conduct the PDP governorship primary scheduled for June 26, 2021 or any other date, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Ekejiuba in suit No FHC/AWK/CS/29/2021, is also asking the court presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba to declare that the imposition of payment of what he called ‘commercialized and prohibitive’ fee of N5m by PDP and its officials on his client as pre-condition for his participation in the pre-primary election was unknown to the electoral guidelines for gubernatorial elections.
He prayed the court to declare that the refusal by the defendants to allow his client to pay the sum of N1m to obtain the PDP expression of interest and nomination forms as the female and richer aspirants was discriminatory against the plaintiff as it infringed on his fundamental right to freedom from discrimination under Section 42 (1) (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended, among other reliefs.
