NIGERIA 2015 ::: CRISIS ROCKS ABIA PDP, MEMBERS ASK COURT TO SACK PRIMARIES COMMITTEE

 
As different political parties prepares for 2015 general election in Nigeria, the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently embroiled in crisis following the setting up of a
committee to select those who will participate in the party’s primaries wherein candidates for the 2015 general polls will be chosen.
Already, two members of the party have asked the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to sack the committee, which they said was set up to stop certain people from participating in the elections.
This is coming at a time when Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has sent a three-man team to Abuja to lobby members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to allow him have his way in the conduct of primaries.
M africa online tv gathered that the leader of the lobby team is Mr. Chijoke Nwakodu, a member of the selection committee and personal assistant to the governor’s son, Chinedu Orji.
According to a source, our reporter confirmed  that the team was asked to meet with PDP national chairman, Adamu Mu’azu and members of the NWC, with the view to lobbying them to allow Governor Orji conduct the primaries on his terms.
Meanwhile, The plaintiffs, Chiefs Igwe Chukwu and Eche James, in an affidavit deposed to on their behalf by V. I. Uma, insisted that the committee offended the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections, 2014 and the Constitution of Peoples Democratic Party, 2012 (as amended).
The aggrieved members of PDP in Abia State, who listed the party, its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu; Senator Emma Nwaka and Chief Charles Ogbonna as 1st to 4th defendants respectively, invited the court to determine, “whether the 11-man Electoral Committee headed by the 4th defendant has, in spite of its endorsement and approval by the 1st and 2nd defendants, the lawful powers to conduct the election of the 3-man ad-hoc delegates from the different wards in Abia State, who will participate in primaries for the election of candidates of the party considering, jointly and severally, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), constitution of the 1st defendant and the guidelines issued for the primaries.”
They also asked the court to decide, “whether the 1st and 2nd defendants can endorse and approve the setting up of such a committee and use or allow the use of the outcome of the work of such committee in the conduct of the special committee for electing candidates for the 2015 elections.”
Chukwu and James prayed the court for an order, “setting aside the endorsement and approval and the setting up and inauguration of the said committee headed by the 4th defendant on record as same is unconstitutional, null and void being inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the constitution and guidelines of the 1st defendant.”
The plaintiffs also sought, “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further giving effect to the endorsement and approval and setting up of the said committee or giving effect to any decision or action of the 4th defendant, if any, and restraining the 4th defendant from commencing, continuing or completing the discharging of the functions of conducting the election for the said 3-man ad-hoc delegates from the wards for purpose of participating in the primary election for candidates of the 1st defendant in the 2015 national election.”