APGA Chief Okoli-Akirika floors Umeh claims on Appeal court, PDP Lawyer Hon Clems Ezika too

www.odogwublog.com reports it was a hard knock for the candidate of the Al Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) , Chief Sir Victor Umeh on his claims that the Appeal Court disqualified PDP’s candidate , Chief Mrs Lillian Uche Ekwunife from participating in the senatorial re-run for Anambra central senatorial zone. 
 Former State Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra, Chief C.J Okoli Akirika and a constitutional lawyer, Hon Clems Ezika, yesterday took turn to explain the judgment of the Appeal Court Enugu to journalists to enable them educate the public better.
Okoli-Akirika, a member of the APGA team of lawyers and Ezika, a member of PDP lawyers were in agreement that issues of Court judgment should not be subjected to sentimental analysis and subjective opinions to avoid misleading the public on the status of the judgment.
They said that the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for the annulled Anambra Central Senatorial district’s election, Senator (Mrs) Uche Ekwunife was not disqualified to re-contest the rerun election ordered by the Appeal Court, Enugu which nullified her election, going by the content of the judgement.
They clarified what the judgment said which was: “what the court held was that the primary that produced her was illegitimate.”
The duo in separate media briefings held in Awka pointed out that, “There was nowhere in the entire body of the judgement where the term, disqualified, was ever used by the court. What the court did which I think is proper, beneficial, salutary, and is promotive of the electoral norms and principles was that any candidate must be lawfully and legitimately sponsored by a political party in accordance with the mandatory provisions of section 65, subsection 2, parallel B of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and again as supplied by section 138, subsection 1 of the Electoral Act 2001 (as amended).”
Akirika however extolled the court for taking time to look into the matter of qualification involving a third party and the candidacy of another party, noting that it would strengthen internal democracy across political parties in future elections.
He however cautioned Ekwunife to properly validate her candidacy with her party as she could be brushed aside before the rerun ,insisting that since “the Appeal Court declared her PDP candidacy an illegitimate one and ordered for a fresh election, any other person could emerge in the PDP primaries.”
Okoli-Akirika, immediate past Commissioner for Lands Anambra state insisted that: ‘’ the judgment of the court will help strengthen the process of democracy and internal party primaries because the candidate is contesting and the party is the platform’’, adding that the case was historic and monumental for the advancement of internal party democracy.
He however said that what the court did was proper , pointing out that it was like a replay match in football where not all those who played he first match would play the replay. He said this is because the judgment of A.D Yahaya did not restrict the election to those who contested the initial election, hence anybody could emerge from PDP primaries.
He lamented the absence of panel section in the electoral Act, hence other parties suffer the limitations of another , and end up wasting everybody’s time and resources.
On his part Ezika who is speaking as an independent person but has been 24 years in the bar , maintained that he would not dwell on any other issue which the court did not raise a what the court raised was that there should be fresh elections but never disqualified Ekwunife or Umeh any other person or political party.
‘’Nobody was disqualified by the court of Appeal in Enugu either Uche or Umeh or their party. I don’t want to go into speculation  because the judgment of the court is that PDP should conduct fresh primary. The court never disqualified any person.