THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to the Court of Appeal ruling, which mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election in Anambra Central Senatorial District.
The party, in two separate suits filed before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, insisted that the Court of Appeal erred in law by granting the go-ahead to INEC to conduct fresh elections in the Senatorial District.
The Senatorial District has been without a Senator since December 2015 when the earlier occupant Senator Uche Ekwunife was removed by the Election Petitions Tribunal.
The PDP in Suit number CA/A/165/2016 is suing INEC, the United Peoples Party (UPP), Chief Flint Obiekwe and the Mega Progressives Party (MPPP), while the party in another suit number CA/A/160/2016, in suing the Sir Victor Umeh, the All Progressive Grand Alliance; INEC Chief Flint Obiekwe; the UPP and MPPP.
It said that the order excluding any of its candidates from participating in fresh elections in the area amounted to subjecting its members to disabilities and restrictions which Nigerian citizens are not to be subjected.
The party declared that the Appeal Court was wrong in law to have held that INEC could exclude its candidate from any fresh election in the senatorial district.
The party also held that it would appear discriminatory for the Court to exclude the candidate of the PDP when the election tribunal did not nullify the election outright in its judgement of 2015.
The PDP insisted that the Election Petitions Tribunal in 2015 did not order that the party should not field a candidate for fresh election adding that it was strange for the Court of Appeal to so hold.
The party is therefore seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court for an order setting aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal excluding the party from fielding any of its candidates in any fresh election for Anambra seat.
It is also seeking an order of the apex court to direct INEC to put any of its candidate on the ballot for any such fresh election.
