Abuja High Court Removes Ugwumba Uche Nwosu – Gov. Okorocha Sobs Bitterly
The Abuja High Court on Wednesday recognized Senator Hope Uzodinma as the All progressives Congress (APC) flag-bearer for the 2010 Imo governorship election. The court, which was presided over by Justice O. Musa disclosed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should recognize only Hope Uzodimma as the APC governorship flag-bearer in the 2019 election. The court removes Ugwumba and considers Hope Uzodinma.
Justice O. A. Musa who gave the restraining order on Tuesday, also restrained INEC (2nd Respondent) in the case from processing or publishing the “name of any other person other than Senator Hope Uzodimma from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the gubernatorial candidate for Imo State Governorship election for 2019” pending the determination of the substantive suit on the matter.
Senator Hope Uzodimma has approached the court through his lawyer, JOe Agi (SAN) requesting an order to restrain the All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting a fresh or re-conducting another primary for the Imo State Gubernatorial primaries and INEC from monitoring or purporting to monitor any fresh primaries or re-conducted primaries by the APC in Imo State Gubernatorial Election pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the Court.
Further reliefs sought by Senator Hope Uzodimma are:
An automatic order conditioning APC to forward his name to INEC as the APC Gubernatorial Candidate for Imo State Governorship Election come 2019.
Again, he requests for an order restraining INEC from continuing the process of publishing any other name except his, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
In his affidavit in support of the motion exparte, the claimant (Uzodimma) averred that he was declared the winner of the Imo State APC gubernatorial primaries which were conducted on October 1, 2018, but shortly after he was declared the winner, “the National Chairman of the APC issued a press statement on the 3rd October 2018 purporting to cancel the primaries and re-conducting a fresh one.”
He added that none of the contestants in the election protested the result as declared by the returning officer “but rather six out of the nine contestants (Aspirants) confirmed that the primaries held and were free and fair.”
The Plaintiff noted in its affidavit that noted that the electoral guidelines do not give the National Chairman of the APC or the National Working Committee (NWC) to interfere with the electoral process; and that “out of the nine contestants (Aspirants) six agreed that there was an election and I (Uzodimma) won.”
He further averred that in the absence of an appeal, no organ of the party can cancel the result of primaries. He said failure of the Court to grant the order, “irreparable damage will be done to me.”
The Court has fixed October 16, 2018, for a final say concerning the issue at hand.
Hopefully, the other five governorship aspirants in the same party has declared support for Senator Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the Imo State APC governorship primaries conducted on October 1st by the Ahmed Gulak Election Committee.
Meanwhile Gov. Rochas Okorocha has sobbed bitterly as regards the latest development.
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