A former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Mr. Silas Ọnụ, has approached the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal decision sacking him as the party’s Ebonyi State Chairman.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on August 15, 2022, sacked Onu as Chairman and restored Mr. Tochukwu Okorie as substantive Chairman of the party in the state.
But in his notice of appeal, Ọnụ prayed the apex court to grant an order allowing his appeal.
The appellant raised two grounds, the first being an order setting aside the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The second is a prayer for an order restoring the decision of the trial Court delivered on 13 April 2022 which declared him as the authentic Chairman of the party in the state.
The applicant and Okorie contested an election for the Chairmanship position on October 16 2021.
Okorie polled 1,240 votes to defeat Silas Onu, who scored 260 votes in the election.
Dissatisfied, Onu filed a suit challenging the process and listed the PDP and Okorie as first and second defendants, respectively.
The Federal High Court in Abuja agreed with him and sacked Okorie as chairman.
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Delivering ruling in the suit on April 13, 2021, Justice Ahmed Mohammed directed the party to issue a certificate of return to Onu, declaring him as the duly elected chairman of PDP, Ebonyi chapter.
But Tochukwu Okorie appealed the decision.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on August 15 sacked Onu as Chairman and restored Okorie as substantive Chairman of the party in the state.
The PDP has become factionalised in the lead-up to the primaries of the party with Mr Onu leading one faction while Okorie leads the other faction.
As a result, two governorship candidates emerged from the primaries of the party.
While Mr Ifeanyi Odii emerged as the candidate from the primaries conducted by the Ọnụ faction, Obinna Ọgba, who represents Ebonyi Central in the Senate, emerged as the candidate from the primaries conducted by the Okorie faction.
Both candidates are presently in court fighting to be declared the authentic candidate of the party for the 2023 governorship election.