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Appeal Court returns Ekwunife, Nwankwo

By Chuks Collins (Awka) and Michael Egbejule (Benin City)
02 November 2019   |   3:54 am
The Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, has upheld the election of Sen. Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central) on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

•Dismisses Igbinedion, Momoh, Others’ Petitions
The Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, has upheld the election of Sen. Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central) on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Affirming the verdict of the election petitions tribunal that sat in Awka, Anambra State, it dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Sen. Victor Umeh, challenging Ekwunife’s election on February 23, 2019, for lacking in merit.

The appellate court also upturned the declaration of Valentine Ayika of the PDP for Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia Federal Constituency and returned Chief Dozie Nwankwo of APGA as the elected candidate.

In a telephone chat, Chief Nwankwo described the verdict as victory for democracy and the people.

He promised to concentrate on the numerous good works he was doing for the citizens.

The court also affirmed the election of the APC candidate for Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in the February 23 ballot, Chinedu Oga.

Justice Ignatuis Agube, on behalf of Justice Veronica Dongban-Mensem, dismissed the petition of the PDP candidate, Lazarus Ogbe, as lacking in merit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier declared Ogbe winner of the election, but his victory was upturned by the election petitions tribunal in Abakaliki, after Oga challenged it.

In Benin City, the Court of Appeal, yesterday, threw out the appeals filed by House of Representatives candidates –Omosede Igbinedion (Ovia), Ehiozuwa Agbonyinma (Ikpoba-Okha/Egor) and Patrick Idiake (Esan West/Esan Central/Igueben) – as well as that of senatorial candidate for Edo North seat, Abubakar Momoh, challenging the decision of the election tribunal.

Igbinedion of the PDP was challenging the decision of the tribunal, which upheld the victory of APC’s Dennis Idahosa. Agbonyinma of the APC was challenging the victory of Jude Ise-Idehen of the PDP, while Momoh of the PDP was asking the court to upturn the tribunal’s ruling, which threw out his petition against APC’s Senator Francis Alimikhena for lack of merit.

Justice Aseimo Ademein, who read the judgement, said all the appeals lacked merit.

According to him, parties are to bear their respective costs and that copies of the judgement would be made available by next week.

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