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Abuja Court okays Hon Jarigbe as PDP candidate
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade’s political future may have suffered temporary setback ahead of the 2023 general elections, courtesy of the ruling by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
By declaring Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the validly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Saturday’s Cross River North senatorial by-election, the Court recent ruling has thrown spanners into Ayade’s path of returning to the Senate come 2023.
The governor had fully backed the former chairman of Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey for the seat with the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) recognising him as winner of the party’s ticket
However, the court sitting in Apo, Abuja, thinks otherwise, ruling that Jarigbe, who is the incumbent member representing Ogoja/Bekwara constituency in the House of Representatives, did not supply any false information in his nomination form and was therefore duly nominated as PDP candidate.
It also held that the primaries in which Jarigbe won majority votes were conducted with the authentic and legitimate delegates’ list of the party
Equally, the Court held that having scored the highest number of valid votes in the primary election, Jarigbe is validly nominated as the party’s flagbearer.
With the ruling, the Court then directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include and publish Hon Jarigbe’s name on the list of candidates for Saturday’s by-election.
It also ordered INEC to give the lawmaker every other rights and privileges pertaining to his lawful qualification and nomination as the PDP flag-bearer
The PDP primary election, held at the Ogoja Local Government council headquarters and witnessed by INEC officials, has been enmeshed in legal tussle since it was held on September 5, 2020.
Offering Forefront an insight to the rofo- rofo fight for the PDP ticket, an insider said the battle may have just begun because Governor Ayade’s decision to support the candidature of Odey in the race is considered his easiest path back to the National Assembly after serving out his second tenure at the Cross River State government House.
