PDP in dilemma over C’River by-election primaries

Nsa Gill, Calabar

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River is in confusion over how to conduct primaries for the Northern Senatorial by-elections.

The primary is scheduled for Saturday, September 5 but a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers on Friday barred the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP from altering the March 7 and 21, 2020 ward and chapter executives’ lists for the exercise.

The Court presided over by Justice I. M. Sani, according to a statement to reporters in Calabar, also annulled the purported disqualification of Hon. Jarigbe Jerigbe, a serving member of the National Assembly, who is one of the aspirants for the ticket.

The court also ruled the venue for the primary remains in Cross River North Senatorial.

For over five months controversy had trailed the ward and chapter executives fully endorsed by NWC of the PDP.

The NWC, in a letter dated April 26 by its National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), declared any other list like the one dated April 27 was fake.

The position pitted the NWC and Cross Rivers chapter of PDP at loggerheads.

Also, Governor Ben Ayade and the state caretaker executives got into collision path.

Most of the National Assembly members, otherwise known as Abuja group and some stakeholders, also battled over the issue.

The PDP screening committee had cleared Jerigbe but the Appeal panel disqualified him.

Not satisfied, Jerigbe sued the PDP through his counsel, Chief Ifedayo A. Adedipe (SAN), challenging his disqualification.

He asked the court to set it aside and determine the authentic delegates’ list as well as venue for the primary.

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PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, battled to stop the inclusion of wards and chapter executives lists for the exercise and sustain the disqualification of Jerigbe.

But Justice Sani ruled in favour of Jerigbe, declaring “the 1st (PDP) and 2nd (INEC) defendants have no right to alter or modify the list of elected officials emanating that was a product of the process that took place on the 7th and 21st of March, 2020).”

Other aspirants cleared by the screening committee include the Chairman of Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Steven Odey; former House of Assembly Member, Mr. Ogana Lukpata; a member of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Communication, Dr. Martina Odom and a lecturer with the University of Calabar, Mrs. Mary Iji.