2023 Abia Guber: Trouble for Ikonne as co-contestant, Erugo drags PDP, INEC to court over zonin

There seems to be looming trouble for  governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State Professor Uche Ikonne just as a governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP Mr Ndubisi Etugo Ogah has taken a bold step to drag the PDP along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia the Abia State Capital to seek redress over the issue of zoning.

Recall that Professor Uche Ikonne from Abia Central Senatorial Zone was elected as the candidate of the PDP for the 2023 governorship election in Abia. But Etugo Ogah is insisting that under a zoning arrangement called Abia Charter of Equity, it is the turn of Abia North Senatorial District to produce the Govenor of Abia State in 2023.

Ogah In a Motion Exparte Suit no FHC/UM /CS/63/2022 filed by his lawyer Barr PC Dike,  is seeking an order from the court to restrain PDP and INEC from fielding governorship candidate for 2023 election from Abia Central or any other Senatorial zone apart from Abia North Senatorial zone.

Listed as Defendants/Respondents to the case are: the PDP, The National of PDP Senator Iyorvhia Ayu, INEC, zonal Chairman of PDP in Southeast geopolitical zone Chief Ali Odefa, State Chairman of PDP in Abia State Hon Asiforo Okere. Others joined and listed as Defendants/Respondents are the, Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, a governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP in Abia State Professor Uche Ikonne, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Adolphous Nwabara and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu.

The Motion reads that Oga is asking the court to grant him an order of interim injunction restraining the 1st -5th Defendants/Respondents by themselves, their servants, agents or privies or by any person however connected or related to them from taking any step or steps to field a governorship candidate for the 2023 governorship election from Abia Central or to enforce the zoning of Abia State Governorship slot to Abia Centra or another Senatorial zone apart from Abia North,

He is also asking the court to grant him an order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants/Respondents by themselves, its servants, agents or privies  from adopting Professor Uche Ikonne as the preferred governorship candidate of PDP in governorship election in Abia State and to compel the party to nominate its governorship candidate from Abia North Senatorial District to substitute Professor Ikonne.