Our correspondent found Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and Senator Igwe Nwagu absent from INEC's updated list.
The party's three senatorial candidates—Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North), Lazarus Ogbee (Ebonyi Central), and Ama Nnachi (Ebonyi South)—were all absent.
The updated list also omitted five House of Representatives candidates.
Idu Igariwey, Jerry Obasi, Vitalis Ogbonna Nwanne, Chukwuma Ofoke, and Victor Aleke were missing.
Mr. Emmanuel Nwite replaced Mr. Obinna Nwachukwu as the PDP candidate for Āshíelu/Ezza North constituency on the amended list.
The Commission also nominated Mr. Henry Udeh as the Labour Party(LP) senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South instead of Hon. Linus Okorie, who was listed in September.
Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC Secretary, signed and published the amended list.
The Commission stated that the updated list was required by court orders.
“The Commission published the final list of candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20th September 2022 and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4th October 2022 in accordance with Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections,” the statement said.
“After the said publication, the Commission was served Orders of Court in respect of the nomination of candidates for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections,” INEC stated.
“The list of candidates was changed in Amendment No. 1 published on the Commission's website on 3rd November 2022 subject to Court Orders and Death”.
“By virtue of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is required to implement the Court Orders on the Nomination of candidates by political parties in the concerned Constituencies”.
“Consequently, the lists of candidates in respect of the attached Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are amended pursuant to the Orders of Court served on the Commission as of 21st December 2022 for upload on the Commission's website,” the statement said.
Barrister Mudi Irhenede, the Party's State Legal Adviser, said he was unaware of the latest list and will investigate.
"You're telling me about it now," he remarked. Unaware. I'll check.
Mr. Abia Onyike, Mr. Odii's spokeswoman, said he was unaware of the new list.
Ebonyi's PDP is in disarray after last year's primaries.
Two governorship candidates, Ifeanyi Odii and Senator Obinna gba, emerged from two simultaneous primaries.
National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries were similar.
Candidates fought for tickets in courts across the nation, resulting in many lawsuits.
Silas n. Okorie and Tochukwu Okorie fought for party state chairmanship.
As of this article, it remained unclear whose judgements caused INEC to delist the candidates.
(Source: independent.ng)
