From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The Young Progressives Party(YPP) candidate for Ihiala federal constituency in the 2023 general elections, Barr. Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam (Nwadiuto), has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Hon Ifeanyi Chudy Momah to Federal High Court, Awka over the conduct of PDP primary for House of Representatives aspirants.
The Anambra based legal luminary said two Senior Advocates of Nigeria and four other lawyers will represent him in the suit numbered SUIT NO: FHC/AWK/CS/ 81 /2022. The prayers sought by Barr Maduakolam are for the court to nullify the exercise and declare that the PDP can not produce a candidate from what he called a shambolic primaries.
He noted that he was a leading aspirant for the House of Representatives under the PDP in the Primaries slated for 27th May 2022 since the party cleared him to contest for the House of Reps but pointed out that on the day slated for the PDP Primaries, his name was omitted from the list of aspirants and his name was not even on the ballot paper.
The development he noted excluded him from participating in the PDP Primaries despite the fact that he was initially issued a Provisional Clearance Certificate.
“Curiously, Hon. Ifeanyi Chudy Momah, who, until three days to the Primaries, belonged to APGA and occupied a seat in the National Assembly for APGA, jumped in and was declared the winner of the PDP Primaries. Naturally, this surprised many political commentators and observers because he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives under the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2019. We knew next to nothing about his resignation from the APGA or his new membership of the PDP before they declared he won the primaries.” He noted.
Barr Maduakolam, a UK trained lawyer held that his exclusion from the Anambra PDP Primaries was a blessing in disguise as his defection to the Young Progressive Party (YPP) brought him among people, determined to engender democracy, the rule of law, and good governance at all the levels of government in Anambra State.
“However, as a lawyer and human rights activist, Barr Maduakolam insisted that he owed a duty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the rule of law to present a case before the appropriate court against all the actors involved in the manipulation of the PDP Primaries. This action is to serve as deterrence to people who are in the business of truncating democratic processes for selfish gains.” He asserted.