Members of the Ejike Oguebego-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, who participated in the state and National Assembly elections in 2015, have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue them their Certificates of Return based on the Supreme Court’s ruling of January 29, 2016.
The spokesperson for the faction, Mr. Tony Offiah, told journalists in Abuja that the suit by INEC, seeking an interpretation of the January 29, 2016 judgment of the Supreme Court, was a plot to prevent the members of the Oguebego’s group from realising their electoral mandates.
He said, “There is no interpretation that is needed; rather, INEC should do the needful. Justice delayed is justice denied. Why have we not received our Certificates of Return? We enjoin Nigerians to ask this question. Our Certificates of Return are at stake and we are demanding and asking for them. There is no more reason to delay. We are calling on INEC to please do what is necessary for we can no longer wait.”
Last week Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined jurisdiction to review its judgment delivered on January 29 in the leadership dispute within the Anambra State chapter of the PDP.
It had explained that going by its rules and the provisions of the constitution, it lacked the jurisdiction to review its own judgment.
While ruling on the application filed by INEC, Justice John Okoro held that the judgment by its ordinary meaning did not need to be subjected to any clarification.
A five-man panel of the court had unanimously endorsed the ruling and Justice Okoro had stated that the dispute on whether the Certificates of Return should be withdrawn from the serving lawmakers and given to the list of candidates of the Oguebego faction was not an issue before the court and that the court never made any pronouncement to that effect.
However, Offiah based his argument on the fact that the Supreme Court in the January 29 ruling, re-affirmed the chairmanship of Oguebego as the authentic state chairman of the PDP in Anambra State.
He stated that the Supreme Court also declared the list of candidates submitted by the Ken Emekayi-faction illegal.
The faction argued that going by the ruling of the apex court, the list of nominated party candidates in the last election from the Oguebego-led executive of the Anambra PDP was the only one to be recognised by INEC. (Punch)
