Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday
refused an ex-parte application to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from
submitting the name of the Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Chukwuemeka Ikenna Ihedioha, summoned to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Instead, the court ordered the party and INEC to
come and show cause why the name of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume should be
submitted as the governorship candidate of the party for the state.
Araraume through his counsel, Damien Dodo (SAN),
had asked the court to restrain the PDP from forwarding the name of Ihedioha as
its governorship candidate for the 2015 governorship election in Imo State.
The court was further urged to declare the
plaintiff (Araraume) as the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 Imo State
governorship election.
The court invited the party and Ihedioha after
refusing an ex parte application by Dodo seeking to restrain the PDP from
submitting or forwarding the name of Ihedioha to the INEC as its governorship
candidate for Imo State.
Dodo had told the court that his client duly
obtained the Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form to contest for the
Imo State gubernatorial primary election of the PDP.
Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, who declined
granting the ex parte application ordered that the defendants should come
and show cause why the reliefs sought by the applicant should not be granted in
his favour.
He adjourned further proceedings to December 19
while directing that relevant processes to be served on the defendants.
In his originating summons, Araraume, who claimed
to have scored the highest number of votes cast at the special congress of the
party held at Grasshopper International stadium Owerri, Imo State, posed the
following questions for determination by the court.
“Whether from the total number of valid votes
cast at the Special State Congress of the PDP held at the Grasshoppers Stadium,
Owerri, Imo State on December 8 for the nomination of its governorship
candidate for the 2015.
Imo State governorship election as
announced by its Electoral Committee, the plaintiff scored the highest
number of valid votes cast and is entitled to be declared winner and have his
name forwarded to the 3rd defendant (INEC) as governorship candidate of the PDP
(1st Defendant) for Imo State, having regard to the provisions of section
87 (4) (b) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and paragraph 19(n) of
the Electoral guidelines, 2014, of the Peoples Democratic Party.
•Whether having regard to the provisions of
section 87 (4) (b) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and paragraph
19(n) of the Electoral guidelines, 2014, of the PDP, the 2nd defendant
(Ihedioha) was validly declared winner of the 1st defendant’s Governorship
primaries conducted at the Special Congress of the party held at Grasshopper
International Stadium, Owerri, Imo State on December 8, for the 2015 Imo State
governorship election when the 2nd defendant did not score the highest number
of valid votes cast.
An order of court declaring that the plaintiff is
the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant for the 2015 Imo State
governorship election.
•An order of court restraining the 1st defendant
from forwarding or submitting the name of the 2nddefendant as its governorship
candidate for the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
•An order of court restraining the 2nd defendant
from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant for
the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
•An order of court restraining the 3rd defendant
(INEC) from recognising, accepting, treating the 2nd defendant and/or
publishing the name of the 2nddefendant as the governorship candidate of the
1st defendant for the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
