Following the recent move by a House of Representatives member, Nnenna Ukeje to retrieve, via the law court, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Bende Federal Constituency after she was defeated by Dr. Chima Anyaso at the primaries, Igbere TV decided to seek for opinions of a lawyer and a People’s Democratic Party Chieftain to address the issue.
IGBERE TV had reported of moves by the lawmaker, through her mother, Justice Rose Ukeje, a former Chief Judge in Federal High Court, to illegally snatch Chima Anyaso’s ticket using the 35% affirmative action for women.
When Igbere TV contacted Barrister Emmanuel Kalu to speak on the 35% affirmative order for women representation, he laughed over it and described the actions of Ukeje as ‘shameful’ because she has a mother who was a former chief judge that ought to know the laws and explain to her.
He revealed that the 35% Affirmative action or order for women was to be contained in the Gender and Equality Bill which failed reading in the Senate and was never passed as an alteration to the Constitution’.
In his words,
“I’m still in shock about Ukeje’s actions to seek for 35% affirmative action for women despite having a mother that was a Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja who ought to know the laws of the country.”
“Let me explain to her that the 35% Affirmative action for women was to be contained in the Gender and Equality Bill which failed reading in the Senate and was never passed as an alteration to the Constitution.”
“So, I don’t know where she got the courage to go to the law firm, maybe because her mother was a former chief judge,” he said.
When Igbere TV visited a member of PDP SWC (name withheld on his demand) to speak on the issue, he made it crystal clear that that the 35% affirmative order is not contained in the PDP constitution or Guidelines as he also expressed shock over Ukeje’s recent actions despite hugging Anyaso, a sign of accepting defeat on Thursday’s primary election held in Bende Federal Constituency.
“I was shocked when I read the news that Ukeje went to her mother with a SAN to seek for 35% affirmative order which is not legal.”
“In fact let me explain to her that It is also not contained in the PDP Constitution or Guidelines. It relates more to appointment of women in Government positions and not in a contested election won on simple majority.”
“Also, Chima Anyaso is a youth and there is also an affirmative order for the youths. There is affirmative order which says 40% should be given to the youths”,he said.
He went further to describe the 35% affirmative order for women as a merely propaganda which should not be taken serious because Ukeje has been defeated and rejected by the good people of Bende.
