…Uba Loses As Court Vacates Order
An Akwa, Anambra State High Court has declined to renew an order it granted an embattled litigant, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, on July 5, 2021, seeking the non-recognition of Mr Valentine Ozigbo as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State.
The said order, initially granted by Justice Obiora A. Nwabunike, going by Order 40, Rule 3(3) of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules, could only subsist for seven days, after which the Court may choose to renew it or it stands abated as a result.
Going by the proceedings of the court on Monday, July 12, 2021 and the court’s refusal to renew the said order, it stands abated and vacated.
Thus, the order which restrained “the PDP from presenting, receiving, parading or accepting Ozigbo as the authentic governorship candidate for Anambra State” stands vacated.
The significance of the court’s refusal to grant a renewal of the said order means that in the eye of the law, Ozigbo remains the recognised PDP candidate for the November 6 Anambra governorship election.
The news of the vacation of the said order is however eliciting wide jubilation across Anambra State as Ozigbo, a grassroots favourite, has been embraced by the masses of Anambra as the “brightest chance” of reclaiming their state from the decline of the last seven years under the failed leadership of Governor Willie Obiano.
Recall that on June 26, 2021, Ozigbo emerged the flab-bearer of the PDP, in a keenly contested primary election conduced by the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP.
The primary election, which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was adjudged as the most free, fair and credible in the history of the party.
Meanwhile, PDP stalwarts across the country continue to congratulate Ozigbo, who is regarded as one of the brightest entrants into politics in the South East.
Top leaders like former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, immediate past governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, former Senate President, Pius Anyim Anyim, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Senator Stella Oduah, among others have congratulated Ozigbo and vowed to support his candidacy and the quest to reclaim Anambra State for the party.
