By Admin

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared Ifeanyi Odii as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Ebonyi State in the 2023 elections.

In a unanimous judgment by a five-man panel of justices, the apex court set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognize Senator Joseph Obinna Ogba as flag-bearer of the party for the 2023 gubernatorial contest in the state.
Justice Amina Augie who chaired the panel 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 hinged her judgment of Ujogbo Vs Abba Umaro decision which the lower court relied upon in its decision.

Supreme Court also struck out the cross-appeal filed by Ogba.
Odii and Sen. Joseph Ogba 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 Odii, not satisfied 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