Nnamdi Felix/ Abuja

A Nigerian high court in Abuja on Tuesday declined to grant an exparte application filed by senator Ifeanyi Ararume seeking to stop the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from submitting the name of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for Imo state.

The Federal court however ordered the party‎ and INEC to come and show cause why the name of senator Araraume’s should not be submitted as the governorship candidate of the party for the state.

Emeka Ihedioha: unstoppable by Araraume

Araraume’s lawyer, Mr. Damian Dodo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, had asked the court to restrain the PDP from forwarding the name of Ihedioha to INEC as its governorship candidate for the 2015 governorship election in Imo state and urged the court to declare his client as the candidate of the PDP for the 2015 Imo State Governorship election.

Dodo also told the court that his client duly obtained the expression of interest form and nomination form to contest for the Imo State gubernatorial primary election of the PDP.

The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, after refusing to grant their request, ordered that the PDP and INEC should come and show cause why the reliefs sought by the Araraume should not be granted in his favour and adjourned further proceedings to 19th December while directing that relevant processes be served on the defendants.

In his originating summons, Araraume who claimed to have scored the highest number of votes cast at the Special Congress of the party held at Grasshopper International Hotel, Owerri Imo state, posed the following questions for determination by the court.

*Whether from the total number of valid votes cast at the Special State Congress of the PDP held at the Grasshoppers Stadium, Owerri, Imo State on December 8, 2014 for the nomination of its Governorship candidate for the 2015 Imo state Governorship election as announced by its Electoral Committee, the plaintiff scored the highest number of valid votes cast and is entitled to be declared winner and have his name forwarded to the 3rd defendant (INEC) as governorship candidate of the PDP (1st Defendant) for Imo State, having regard to the provisions of section 87 (4) (b) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and paragraph 19(n) of the Electoral guidelines, 2014, of the Peoples democratic Party.

*Whether having regard to the provisions of section 87 (4) ‎(b) (ii) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as) amended] and paragraph 19[n] of the Electoral guidelines, 2014, of the Peoples democratic Party, the 2nd defendant (hedioha) was validly declared winner of the 1stdefendant’s Governorship primaries conducted at the Special Congress of the party held at Grasshopper International Stadium, Owerri Imo State on December 8, 2014 for the 2015 Imo State Governorship election when the 2nd defendant did not score the highest number of valid votes cast.

He sought for an order of the our the court declaring him as the Governorship candidate of the PDP for the 2015 Imo State Governorship election.