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Tag: Ifeanyi Odii

  • “We cannot emulate the tactics of the APC regime” – Ebonyi PDP gov candidate says

    “We cannot emulate the tactics of the APC regime” – Ebonyi PDP gov candidate says

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election in Ebonyi State, Dr Ifeanyi Odii, has rejected the outcome of the polls as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, saying “we cannot emulate the tactics of the APC regime.”

    In the governorship poll, INEC announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Francis Nwifuru, winner of the election.

    But Odii, in a statement, described the outcome of the exercise as “broad day robbery of the peoples mandate,” in the state.

    He said, “I thank you for your show of support in coming out to vote en-masse in the March 18 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections. I remain grateful for your goodwill and belief in our mission to recover Ebonyi state
    “I am saddened by the numerous reports of loss of lives, damage to property and injury to voters and citizens recorded all over the state.

    “The Saturday elections have once again exposed the magnitude of our security and governance challenges in Ebonyi State, which has become a standard under the APC-led regime. Undemocratic forces seeking to capture the soul of our society are afraid to face the people in a free and fair election, so they use violence and intimidation to impose their agenda. We cannot allow this unfolding pattern of ‘governance by violence’ to become our new reality.

    “I am a man of peace, and violence is not associated with my personality. Events might not be going the way we would like them to, but we must remain calm and look for solutions within the law. We cannot emulate the tactics of the APC regime.

    “Though victory may be delayed, it cannot be denied. The people’s mandate remains our mission. We will not be deterred. The Promise of Possibility remains alive and strong. By the grace of God, the will of the people shall prevail.”

  • 2023: How Ifeanyi Odii emerged victorious at Supreme Court

    2023: How Ifeanyi Odii emerged victorious at Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, declared Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the validly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 Ebonyi governorship election.

    Justice Lawal Garba, in a lead judgment of a five-member panel, held that Sen. Joseph Obinna Ogba, who represents Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone, lacked legal right to have filed an appeal in the court below.

    He said the Abuja Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have entertained the suit in the first instance since Ogba was not a party in the entire proceedings conducted by the trial court (a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki).

    The judge said that the entire proceedings conducted by the appellant court was found to be without jurisdiction. He described it as an exercise in futility.

    “You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand; it will definitely collapse,” Garba said. The judge, therefore, said he found merit in the appeal filed by Odii and was hereby upheld

    Garba consequently set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on June 19, declaring Ogba as the validly elected candidate of the party.

    He also said that the appeal filed by Ogba, the 1st respondent, before the appellant court was done without legal backing.

    Justice Amina Augie and other justices in the panel also backed Garba’s judgment, describing the decision as meritorious.

    Mr Odii and Sen. Ogba were engaged in a legal battle over who was validly elected as the party’s candidate for the 2023 poll in the party’s primaries that took place at different occasions in the state.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had, recently, declared Ogba as the governorship candidate of the party in the state, while setting aside the judgment of the trial court sitting in Abakaliki that pronounced Odii as PDP candidate.

    But Odii, unsatisfied with the court decision, filed an appeal marked: SC/CV/ 939/2022 at the apex court.

    In the suit, Odii sued Ogba, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st to 3rd respondent.

  • BREAKING: Supreme Court affirms Odii as PDP gov’ship candidate in Ebonyi

    BREAKING: Supreme Court affirms Odii as PDP gov’ship candidate in Ebonyi

    The Supreme Court has affirmed Ifeanyi Odii as the lawful governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Ebonyi State for the 2023 elections.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Supreme Court had earlier stood down the judgment on the dispute over who is the lawful governorship candidate of the PDP in Ebonyi for the 2023 election for 3 pm.

    A five-member panel, headed by Justice Amina Augie, delivered the judgement after entertaining final submissions from lawyers to parties in the appeal marked: SC/CV/ 939/2022 filed by Odii. The panel unanimously upheld the appeal filed by Odii as meritorious.

    Odii and Sen. Joseph Ogba are engaged in a legal battle over who was validly elected as the party’s candidate for the 2023 poll in the party’s primaries that took place at different occasions in the state.

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had, recently, declared the senator representing Ebonyi Central Zone, Ogba, as the governorship candidate of the party in the state. But Mr Odii, unsatisfied with the court decision, filed an appeal at the apex court.

    Justice Lawal Garba, who delivered the lead judgment held that the purported notice of appeal filed by Ogba on June 17, 22, which gave rise to the judgment of the lower court was incompetent in law as it was filed without the leave of court.

    The apex court held that as a person having interest in a pre-election matter, but who was not made a party to the proceedings, ought to have obtained leave of the trial court to appeal as an interested party.

    Justice Augie who agreed with the lead judgment distinguished her judgment in Ujogbo Vs Abba Umaro decision which the lower court relied upon in its decision.

    TNG reports that the Supreme Court also struck out the cross-appeal filed by Ogba.