PDP scribe asks Emeakayi, Uba, Oduah, to obey S’Court order

• ‘INEC shouldn’t accept any list from Anambra PDP’
• I shouldn’t be subjected to fresh elections, Okonkwo writes commission
AS the ruling of the Supreme Court on the sacking or otherwise of the National Assembly members from Anambra State continues to offer itself to diverse interpretations ahead of the March 5, 2016 senatorial election in Anambra Central, there are indications that the apex court might have posed more questions than answers.

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Haliru Ibrahim has advised the ousted chairman of the party in Anambra State, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, and Senators Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and others affected by the Supreme Court judgment last Friday to obey the ruling and desist from deceiving party members in the National Assembly.

‎In a statement, Ibrahim wondered why Uba, Oduah and some members of the House of Representatives affected by the recent Supreme Court judgment “are still parading themselves as sitting lawmakers.”

According to him, “By law, all the lawmakers in Emekayi’s list are supposed to have vacated but unfortunately, Emekayi turned around to encourage his paymasters to retain their seats in the National Assembly.”

However, one of the contenders, Obiora Okonkwo, whose pre-election case is in a Federal High Court, Abuja where he is insisting that he is the duly nominated senatorial candidate for Anambra Central, has stated that, while the Supreme Court judgment may or may not affect events in Anambra North and Anambra South senatorial zones, its impact in Anambra Central is circumscribed by, or at least, is to be determined within the precedents and clear limits set in previous cases.

In a statement yesterday, Okonkwo, said that the Supreme Court judgment did not finally resolve the issue of who, amongst the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contestants, that should be issued a Certificate of Return as the duly nominated PDP senatorial candidate.

But Senator Annie Okonkwo yesterday petitioned the chairman of INEC, arguing that he was the product of the only validly held primary election by the PDP in the senatorial district.

In the petition by his lawyer, Chris Uche, Okonkwo said he is not bound by the outcome of the Enugu Court of Appeal ruling on the validity of Senator Uche Ekwunife candidacy, and “by extension cannot be subjected to a fresh election.”

Meanwhile, a PDP chieftain in Anambra State, Comrade Patrick Afubera, has asked INEC not to recognise any member of the National Assembly that was not nominated by the National Executive Committee of the party.

Afubera, in a statement, argued that by the decision of the Supreme Court in Emeka v. Okadigbo (2012), it would be unlawful to accept the list of candidates from Oguebego, despite a Federal High Court ruling in its favour.

Citing a Supreme Court verdict in June 2015, Odedo vs Oguebego & Ors, Sc/29/2015, he argued that: “INEC as a responsible organ of the State is bound to give effect to the above-cited Supreme Court decision, especially when the Commission was a party in the proceedings.”