By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA—THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has barred the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the February 6, 2010 election in Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo from participating in the stakeholders’ forum it has planned for tomorrow in Awka.

The Anambra State resident electoral commissioner, Chief Rowland Uwa said the decision followed  a court order barring Soludo from parading himself as the candidate of the party.

The INEC boss was still signing the invitation letters for the meeting yesterday when his legal adviser brought the court order.

After a closed door meeting that lasted for about 20 minutes with the legal adviser, Uwa called the reporters into his office to confirm the court order barring Soludo from the proposed forum.

“I want to confirm that there is a court order against Soludo and we will comply strictky with it. You know the name of our chairman is Iwu (Law) and we must obey the law,” the resident electoral commissioner said.

The invitation letter prepared by the commission had read: “The Honorable Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Maurice Iwu wishes to invite governorship and deputy governorsahip candidates vying for Anambra governorship election 2010 to a very crucial stakeholders’ forum. Equally invited are chairmen and secretaries of political parties participating in the aforementioned election.

A source close to the  former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), told Vangurd last night that the party has not been served with a copy of the paper that the party’s candidate’s name has been removed and that the legal process will take its course.

Reacting to the development,  the PDP National  Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke said; “Injunctions are temporary releases and not permanent especially experte motions that has a life span.

“The  party received a court order stopping it from parading Soludo as our candidate. We are taking necessary steps to discard it. The courts have no territorial and subject matter jurisdiction over the matter. We will approach the court to set the order aside.”