Abia Former Deputy Speaker, Cosmas Ndukwe Tells Court To Stop PDP Presidential Primary Election

A former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmas Ndukwe, has approached a Federal High Court in a bid to stop the presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled to hold on May 28.

He asked the court sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to stop the PDP’s presidential primary because the party has not zoned its ticket to the South East.

Ndukwe, through his lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Paul Erokoro, made the plea in an ex parte application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2022 filed at the court presided by Justice Donatus Okorowo.

The application was, however, challenged by counsel to the main opposition party, Agu Kalu, who urged the judge not to grant the request of the plaintiff.

Justice Okorowo, on his part, fixed Thursday next week for the hearing of the suit after considering the argument by the counsel to the PDP.

At the adjourned date, the main opposition party would be expected to show cause why the application should not be granted.

There have been controversy and debates over where the party’s presidential candidate should emerge.

This followed the inauguration of the party’s zoning committee by its National Working Committee on March 24 amid calls that the PDP should zone its presidential ticket to the southern region of the country.

The committee led by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring fair distribution of the party’s elective offices across the country.

After the committee concluded its assignment, Governor Ortom said members had reached a unanimous agreement on the matter, although he declined to speak on what the position of the committee was.

Rather, he said the committee would forward its report to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

Some members of the committee included Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwunanyi of Enugu State, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, as well as former governors, lawmakers and other party stalwarts.