The internal crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State took a nw dimension as Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt voided the candidacy of Mr. Tony Nwoye who emerged winner of the governorship primary election held in August, as conducted by Ken Emeakayi-led faction.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered from sources that the suit was filed by Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, another PDP governorship aspirant in the state.

Ukachukwu, through his lead counsel, Mr. Rickey Tarfa SAN, had sought the leave of the court to void Nwoye’s candidature as declared by the PDP and accepted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Delivering the judgment, Jusice S. A Aliyu ruled that Nwoye was not eligible to participate in the August 24 primary election conducted under the supervision of Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State.

The judge declared Ukachukwu as the candidate of the PDP for the election on the ground that he was the only qualified aspirant in the said primary election because he scored the highest number of votes cast at the election. He then restrained Nwoye from parading himself as the candidate of the PDP for the election.

The judge also restrained the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, leadership of the party and the INEC from presenting Nwoye as candidate for the poll.

The Judgment detailed below;

“It is hereby declared that based on the dictates of paragraph 4(a) of Part IV of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections 2010 of the Peoples Democratic Party, the first defendant (Tony Nwoye) was not eligible to participate and or take part in the gubernatorial primary election conducted on the 24th day of August 2013 by the 2nd defendant (PDP) for the selection of its candidate for the Anambra State governorship election scheduled to hold on November 16, 2013 or another date.

“An order of mandatory injunction is hereby made compelling the 4th defendant (INEC) to recognise, screen the plaintiff (Ukachukwu), publish and put his name on the ballot paper as the authentic candidate of the 2nd defendant (PDP) for the Anambra State governorship election scheduled to take place on November 16, 2013 or any other date.”