The Young Progressives Party (YPP) on Friday, approached a Federal High Court in Awka demanding to know the validity of the governorship primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The YPP is specifically, seeking the Court’s interpretion for Section 285 (14)(c) of the 1999 constitution and Section 87(1) of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended.
It also asked the Court to interpret the regulations and guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the 2021 Anambra State Governorship Election in view of the primaries held by the PDP and the APC.
In the suit No. FHC/AWK/C5/53/21 filed at the Federal High Court Awka on its behalf by D.C DeNwigwe, SAN, the YPP asked the Court to determine the validity or otherwise of the primary which the PDP conducted on 26th June, 2021.
According to the party, in view of Rule 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 of the guidelines for the conduct of political parties primaries 2018, the Court should determine if the PDP’s primary was valid following the party’s failure to submit its delegates list, seven days before the date of the primaries.
The party made reference to the judgement of the FCT High Court in Suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/160/2021 between Akaeze Ugochukwu Vincent and Peoples Democratic Party, and the decision of the Supreme Court in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721).
It then, asked the Court to determine if INEC was right not to have barred the PDP from holding the purported primary on 26th June, 2021 that produced Valentine Ozigbo as the party’s flag bearer for the state’s 2021 governorship election and from further participation in the process of nomination of Candidates for the aforementioned election.
The YPP also asked the Court to determine whether INEC in view of the commission’s Monitoring Committee Report on the aforementioned PDP primary and the decision in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721), can chose when to enforce provisions of the Electoral Act, Rule 4.5.1 and 4.5.2 of the guidelines for the Conduct of Political Parties Primaries 2018.
The YPP maintained that Electoral Act requires parties to submit their delegate lists to the commission, seven days before their primaries.
The party further asked the Court to determine whether INEC being a public regulatory body for political parties, was right not to have declared the purported primary conducted on 26th of June, 2021 by the PDP as a nullity.
It claimed that the primary was in violation of the judgment of the FCT High Court in Suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/160/2021 between Akaeze Ugochukwu Vincent and Peoples Democratic Party.
In a related development, the YPP on Friday, asked the Federal High Court, Awka to determine whether the purported Primary conducted by the All Progressives Congress on 26th June, 2021 which produced Senator Andy Uba as the party’s flag bearer should be voided or not.
In the Suit No. FHC/AWK/C5/52/21, the party through D.C DeNwigwe, SAN, asked the Court to determine the validity of the aforementioned Primary in view of Section 285 (14)(c) of the Constitution, Section 87(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as well as the guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as provided by INEC and the Commission’s Monitoring Committee Report on the purported Primary conducted by the APC.
The YPP also cited the case of the Supreme Court decision in APC V. Marafa (2020) 6 NWLR (Pt. 1721), among others to back up its claims.
