By Zika bobby
The zoning crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia has taken a new dimension as a governorship aspirant, Ndubisi Etugo Ogah, has sued the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia.
Uche Ikonne from Abia Central senatorial zone was elected as candidate for the 2023 governorship election. But Ogah is insisting that under a zoning arrangement called Abia Charter of Equity, it is the turn of Abia North.
Thus, Ogah, in a motion of exparte suit no FHC/UM/CS/63/2022 filed by his lawyer P. C. Dike, is seeking an order to restrain PDP and INEC from fielding governorship candidate for 2023 election from Abia Central or any other senatorial zone apart from Abia North senatorial zone.
Listed as defendants/respondents to the case are: the PDP, National Chairman Iyorvhia Ayu, INEC, zonal Chairman of PDP in South East geopolitical zone, Ali Odefa, state Chairman in Abia State, Asiforo Okere.
Others joined and listed as defendants/respondents are the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, a governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP in Abia State, Ikonne, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Adolphous Nwabara and Onyema Ugochukwu.
Ogah is asking the court to grant him an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st -5th defendants/respondents by themselves, their servants, agents or privies or by any person, however, connected or related to them from taking any step or steps to field a governorship candidate for the 2023 governorship election from Abia Central or to enforce the zoning of Abia State governorship slot to Abia Central or another senatorial zone apart from Abia North.
He is also asking the court to grant him an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants/respondents by themselves, its servants, agents or privies from adopting Ikonne as the preferred governorship candidate of PDP in governorship election in Abia State and to compel the party to nominate its governorship candidate from Abia North to substitute Ikonne.