The governorship candidate of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ugochukwu Uba, has said it is premature to address Valentine Ozigbo as the authentic candidate of the party.
A Court of Appeal had declared Ozigbo who emerged in a parallel governorship primary poll held on June 26 this year at Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre as the candidate of the party, hence, paving the way for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish his name.
Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka, the state capital had earlier declared Senator Uba who emerged the standard bearer of the party in a parallel poll held in the premises of Paul University, Awka as the authentic candidate.
Uba, through the spokesperson of his campaign organisation, Uchem Obi, a lawyer, said it was only after the Supreme Court ruling on the matter that the authentic candidate would be known.
“We have three prayers at the Supreme Court. We are asking the court to allow our appeal, set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal and then restore the judgment of High Court of Anambra State, Awka which clearly pronounced Senator Ugochukwu Uba as the authentic candidate of PDP for the election.
“We can only talk of the authentic candidate of the PDP after the Supreme Court decision. Anybody discussing the issue of PDP candidacy must take the above information into consideration.
“Calling Valentine Ozigbo the candidate of PDP is premature, even the INEC knows that. Let’s await the decision of the Supreme Court. Right now, it is 1-1. Uba and Ozigbo are both qualified for final contest which will take place at the Supreme Court soon”, Obi said.
