The crisis in Abia State PDP took a new turn for the worst  as Hon Okey Igwe, the deputy governorship candidate to late Professor Uche Ikonne on Friday filed a lawsuit in a Federal High Court Abuja challenging his removal as the deputy governorship candidate for the newly nominated PDP gubernatorial candidate, Okey Ahaiwe


In a  latest press release signed by Okey Igwe himself, he stated that he has approached an Abuja Federal High Court to determine whether the PDP can legally substitute a subsisting deputy gubernatorial candidature in view of the fact that he is alive and never resigned.


 Based on the press release,  Igwe said he asked the court to make the following orders:

(1) a declaration that my subsisting candidature cannot be substituted while I am alive and never resigned;

  (2) a declaration that our party cannot substitute my candidature without my written consent- such consent not having been given within the allowable period;

(3) an order effectively nullifying my purported substitution; (4) an order perpetually restraining INEC from accepting and or publishing any other name(s) as a replacement for my subsisting candidature and to retain same.

Excerpts from the  statement is as below:

I bring you greetings once again. A few days back, I had sent out a message calling on all our supporters and people to stay calm with assurances that our candidature as the duly nominated, bonafide and subsisting deputy governorship candidate of Abia PDP for the 2023 General Elections remains immutable – purported substitution nonetheless.


In keeping faith to that assurance and in conformity with acceptable civil standards, I have approached an Abuja Federal High Court to, in layman’s language, determine whether having regards to relevant sections of our Electoral Act, our party can legally substitute our subsisting deputy gubernatorial candidature in view of the fact that I am alive and never resigned the said candidature.


Upon determination of the above question, I have asked the court to make the following orders: (1) a declaration that my subsisting candidature cannot be substituted while I am alive and never resigned; (2) a declaration that our party cannot substitute my candidature without my written consent- such consent not having been given within the allowable period; (3) an order effectively nullifying my purported substitution; (4) an order perpetually restraining INEC from accepting and or publishing any other name(s) as a replacement for my subsisting candidature and to retain same.


I have taken the above step for two reasons: first to enforce my rights as a candidate and second to protect our party from taking a self destructive step as their purported, impermissible substitution of my candidature will ultimately nullify our imminent victory at the March 11 polls and imperil the gubernatorial ticket.


Again, I urge us all to remain calm, law abiding and continue working for the victory of our party up and down the ballots. I have utmost faith in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.


PDP! Power to the People!!

Hon. Phillip Okey Igwe, Esq.


Member ABHA Umuneochi State Constituency