The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly stated in a monitoring report that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not conduct its primary election at the designated venue for the Enugu West Senatorial District, a development cited by aspirant Hon. Engr. Nick Obim Ozonsi in his challenge to the party’s primary process.
Ozonsi, a PDP chieftain and aspirant for the Enugu West senatorial ticket, has urged his supporters across the district to remain patient as they await a verdict from the Federal High Court in Enugu over the disputed primary.
The aspirant expressed confidence that he would reclaim what he described as his mandate, while dismissing reports circulated by the Enugu State chapter of the PDP as “incongruous and fictitious.” He urged his supporters to remain calm and allow the judicial process to determine the dispute.
According to Ozonsi’s camp, INEC submitted an affidavit to the Federal High Court in Enugu indicating that the party’s primary election did not hold at the designated venue.
The commission’s monitoring report stated: “Election did not hold at the venue, our monitoring team left the venue at around 5pm without seeing any party faithful.”
The report also noted that the PDP did not provide details of the mode of the primary election as stipulated under the Electoral Act.
It further stated: “There was no presence of party members or the electoral committee at the Venue.”
Ozonsi is relying on the reported findings to challenge the conduct of the primary and strengthen his position in the ongoing court proceedings.
He called on his supporters not to be distracted by reports surrounding the controversy, urging them to remain steadfast while awaiting the court’s decision.
The dispute over the Enugu West senatorial ticket has raised questions about the conduct of the PDP’s primary election in the district. The court’s eventual decision is expected to determine the legal implications of the claims and evidence presented by the parties.
