Court nullifies APGA senatorial ticket Reps member, Azubogu, got while in PDP

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for the Anambra South senatorial district in the 2023 general elections, Chris Azubogu, has been sacked by an Abuja division of the Federal High Court.

Azubogu, who is also a member of the House of Representatives, was removed from the senatorial race in a judgement by Justice Inyang Ekwo in a suit instituted by Ben Nwankwo, challenging the unlawful nomination of Azubogu because of his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he stood for the primary election under APGA in June.

While delivering the judgment, Justice Ekwo held that the lawmaker violated Section 65 and 68 of the 1999 Constitution in the unlawful manner he stood for primary election under APGA and got nominated for the February 2023 senatorial election for Anambra South.

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Ekwo agreed with the plaintiff that Azubogu ought to have resigned, defected or cross carpeted from the PDP to APGA before he can lawfully qualify to stand for primary election on the platform of another party.

Ekwo held that as a “serving member of the House of Representatives, representing Nnewi North/Nnewi South/ Ekwusigo Federal Constituency under the PDP ticket, the defendant (Azubogu) ought to have relinquished the seat if he had actually resigned his membership, defected from PDP to APGA or another political party.”

The court also held that as at June 1, 2022, when APGA conducted its primary election for the nomination of a candidate for Anambra South Senatorial District, Azubogu, was not qualified to participate.

The court consequently nullified his nomination, and submission of his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as candidate of APGA for the 2023 senatorial election.

Justice Ekwo ordered that Nwankwo’s name be submitted to the electoral body as candidate of APGA for the election in his place.

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