There is high expectation in Ebonyi among the residents as the Supreme Court stood down the judgment ondide dispute over who the lawful governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in Ebonyi for the 2023 election until 3 pm today.
A five-member panel, headed by Justice Amina Augie, announced on Wednesday that the judgment would be rendered by 3 pm today after entertaining final submissions from lawyers to parties in the appeal marked: SC/CV/ 939/2022 filed by Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Odii and Sen. Joseph Obinna Ogba had locked horns in a legal battle over who was validly elected as the party’s candidate for the next year’s poll in the party’s primaries that took place on 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.
The five-member panel stood down the matter for judgment after counsel for the parties adopted their processes and presented their arguments.
But even though the residents of the state especially the party members, were in diverse predictions over whom would emerge the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party, the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Nwoba Chika Nwoba has sent a congratulatory message to one of the governorship candidates in the court.
Nwoba said: "The People's Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State chapter congratulates High Chief Ifeanyi Odii on his victory today at the Supreme Court, Abuja over the case of the authentic gubernatorial ticket bearer in the PDP in Ebonyi State between himself and the Senator representing Ebonyi Central Zone, Sen. Obinna Ogba.
"We wish to state that the victory is one of the PDP in particular and Ebonyi people in general, urging party members, supporters and the general public to see the victory as the first step in the journey towards restoring the state of Ebonyi to the path of good governance that the party had always given since 1999. We thank the teeming supporters and members of PDP for the high level of leniency they kept throughout the moments the litigations lasted.
"We charge both High Chief Ifeanyi Odii and Sen. Obinna Ogba to see this finality as a journey that has just begun in view of the determination of the party to reclaim its place in the leadership register of Ebonyi State as there exists no victor nor vanquish in this case. We plead with members and supporters to cease from making comments that may have the potentiality to divide the party and present anyone as loser. PDP is one in Ebonyi State and we need a more united force to pursue the task of winning the 2023 gubernatorial election in Ebonyi State!
"Once again, Congratulations to High Chief Ifeanyi Odii! Congratulations to PDP and Ebonyi people! Power to the people!"
