The
Supreme Court on Friday sacked the three senators and 11 members of the House
of Representatives representing Anambra.
The
senators are Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife.
Delivering
judgment, Justice Binta Ogunbiyi held that the lawmakers were illegally foisted
on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by an unrecognised state executive of the
party led by Chief Chukwudi Okasa.
Ogunbiyi
held that the Chief Ejike Oguebego-led executive was the only constitutionally
recognised leadership of the PDP to conduct the party’s primaries.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision prematurely terminates
the tenure of the former Aviation minister Oduah in the senate.
It
also quashed the legislative career of Sen. Andy Uba presidential aide to
former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ogunbiyi
ruled that the candidates who emerged from the primaries conducted by the
Oguebego-led group were the true representatives from the state to occupy the
vacant seats.
``The
decision of the apex court is done to restore justice and discourage impunity
in the polity.
``The
judgment also lays out the proper procedures for selection of political parties
legislative candidates,’’ she held.
Mr
Chris Uba, Sen. Andy Uba younger brother and Prince John Emeka are expected to
take over the seats vacated by Uba and Oduah respectively.
NAN
further reports that a bye-election would be conducted to fill the senatorial
seat occupied by Sen. Uche Ekwunife, who was sacked on December 2015 by the
Court of Appeal.
In
December 2014, the Federal High Court had ruled that the Ejike Oguebego-led
executive was the only constitutionally recognised leadership of the party in
Anambra that could conduct the PDP primaries.
Despite
that ruling, the parallel state executive of the PDP led by Chief Chukwudi
Okasa went ahead to conduct parallel primaries.
NAN
reports that by this judgment, the apex court reaffirmed the verdict of the
Federal High Court declaring that the Oguebego-led executive had the sole right
to conduct the primaries in that State.
The
National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP National Working Committee
(NWC) supervised the primaries conducted by Oguebego’s executive on Dec 6 and
Dec. 7, 2014 .
At
the end of the exercise, the NWC of the PDP and INEC declared Chris Uba winner
for Anambra South, Prince John Emeka for Anambra North, and Annie Okonkwo for
Anambra Central.
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