From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have asked the Federal Court sitting in Abuja to dismiss the suit challenging the validity of the primary election of the party that produced senators Andy Ubah, Stella Oduah and others as candidates for the 2015 National Assembly elections.
The respondents are contending that the suit instituted by Senator Annie Okonkwo and 43 others constitute a gross abuse of the court.
They hinged their position on the claim that the issues raised by the plaintiffs had already been decided by the Supreme Court.
In the suit in contention, Okonkwo and 43 others had, through their counsel, Chief Asam Asam dragged INEC, Ubah, Oduah and 16 others who are lawmakers in the National and Anambra State houses of assembly before the Federal High Court praying the court to invalidate the nomination of the defendants.
In addition, the plaintiffs applied for an order of the court restraining INEC from accepting the nomination of Ubah and his colleagues in the national and state assemblies on the ground that they were not nominated by the state executive committee of PDP led by Mr. Ejike Oguebegu.
It is their claim that since Oguebegu-led state PDP committee conducted primary election, nominated them and their names published by INEC, it was wrong in law for their names to be withdrawn from INEC’s list.