ANAMBRA POLLS: Appeal Court Grounds Soludo Again

PROFESSOR CHARLES SOLUDO.

Abuja (THEWILL) - The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday certified its earlier ban on Professor Charles Soludo from parading himself as The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate in the February 2010 gubernatorial polls.

The Justice Mary Odili led three-man court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to disregard the candidacy of Soludo pending the determination of the suit before it.

The court had earlier ruled on Tuesday that the PDP and Soludo should stand down on all campaigns until the suit before it is determined, but Soludo and the PDP had gone ahead on Wednesday to flag off his campaign in Onitsha.

Friday’s ruling was based on an application filed by two disgruntled party members, Valentine Ozigbo and Victoria Nwankwo who contested the primaries with the former CBN governor. They have asked the court to declare the process used in Soludo’s selection illegal.

In her ruling, she asked the parties to return to the status quo saying, “We are not unmindful of the essence of time in this matter. It is necessary that something should be done in this matter. All parties should maintain the status quo. The first and second respondents should not do anything affecting this matter.”

In their reaction the Soludo Campaign in statement signed by Christain Udechukwu said the ruling has no effect on its campaign as the Supreme Court had ruled in April 2008 in the case between Hosiah Ehinlawo Vs Olusola Oke that the courts have no business interfering on how parties select their flag bearers.

In a related development the Labor Party in Anambra State has urged Dr. Andy Uba to become its candidate in the election. There have been confirmed reports that Dr. Uba is seriously shopping for a platform to contest the gubernatorial polls holding on February 6, 2009.