The Supreme Court has affirmed Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Ebonyi State in the 2023 general election.
A five-member panel, headed by Justice Amina Augie, delivered judgement on Wednesday, after entertaining final submissions from lawyers to parties in the appeal marked: SC/CV/ 939/2022 filed by Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.
The Apex Court set aside a Judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered in favour of Senator Joseph Obinna Ogba on account of illegality.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba and endorsed by other four Justices, the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have listened to Ogba because he did not obtain leave of court before filing his appeal in Court of Appeal.
Justice Garba held since Senator Ogba was not a party to the Federal High Court suit, he ought to have applied and secured permission of the Court of Appeal before joining the matter.
Odii and Senator Joseph Ogba had faced a legal battle over who was validly elected as the party’s candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the party’s primary that took place at different locations in the state.
