Enugu State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed report accusing the PDP of violating a purported court order restraining it from recognising Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the party’s governorship candidate in the state.

This came as a former Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Ogbo Asogwa has criticised Senator Ayogu Eze and some other PDP governorship aspirants, including Prof. Onyeke O. Onyeke and Dr Sam Onyishi for “not deeming it fit to join the Enugu PDP family to receive President Goodluck Jonathan during the recent presidential rally in Enugu”.

Speaking yesterday on behalf of PDP, an Abuja-based legal practitioner and one of the leaders of the party in Enugu, Chief Onwurah Aniagboso, said the PDP, had addressed the matter extensively before now and explained that “there was no such order.”

He maintained that the PDP remained a law-abiding party and “could not have disobeyed an order that is inexistent in the first place”.

“Yes, there are two pending cases on the Enugu PDP governorship primary before Justice S.E Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. One was filed by Sen. Ayogu Eze against the PDP, but Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s Counsel, P.I.N Ikwueto (SAN) applied and Ugwanyi was joined in the suite, while another case is Dr. Samuel Onyishi V. PDP.”

He explained that although it was true that Senator Ayogu Eze had initially asked for an ex-parte order to restrain the PDP from submitting Ugwuanyi’s name to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Enugu PDP governorship candidate, the court turned down the prayer and demanded that the PDP and INEC be put on Notice.

Chief Aniagboso said he was aware that the PDP’s counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), filed a preliminary objection on resumption of the case on December 18, 2004, contesting that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case, which had been adjourned to January 14, 2015.

It could however be recalled that the case was not heard due to the industrial action by the judicial workers union.

According to him, “I am also aware that the court did not grant any prayer by Dr. Onyishi’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN) seeking to restrain the PDP from submitting Hon. Ugwuanyi’s name to the INEC or restraining INEC from accepting Ugwuanyi as Enugu PDP governorship candidate.”

“Unless a prayer for an order of injunction is granted, you cannot call it an order yet; hence I see nothing in law, which bars the PDP from presenting its flag to Hon. Ugwuanyi as its bonafide candidate in the February 28 election or the INEC from treating him as PDP’s candidate”.