Court unseats Anambra APC chairman

A Federal High Court in Awka, the Anambra state capital has sacked Mr Emeka Ibe as chairman of the All Progressives Congress congress in the state.

The court gave the ruling in a suit filed by a member of the party, Chief Uzochukwu Onyekwere, over the May 19 state congress where Ibe emerged chairman of the party in the state.

He alleged unlawful exclusion in the conduct of the congress.

Onyekwere prayed the court to declare that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 223 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 20 of the APC constitution 2017 as amended.

The case has Okey Ezea, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Chairman of the APC Congress Committee in Anambra, Ibe, the acclaimed winner and the Independent National Electoral Commission, all as defendants.

Justice Bature Gafai, after two hours, had dismissed the counter-affidavits of defendants which contended that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter as it was an internal party affair.

Gafai upholds that the plaintiff, being a bonafide member of the party and having paid the mandatory nomination fee, had the right to fair contest.

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He thereafter nullified the election and ordered that a rerun be conducted to be supervised by INEC.

The judge, however, refused to grant the damage of N100 million sought by the plaintiff.

Reactimg to the judgement, Counsel to the petitioner, Chief Tagbo Ike, applauded the court for the judgment and speedy dispensation of justice.

Ike noted that he would convey judgment to the party hierarchy for appropriate action.

Onyekwere said he would go back and prepare for a congress election that would reflect the minds of the generality of party faithful.

“I thank God, if you must go to equity you have to go with clean hands, I have maintained that there was no congress in Anambra and the court has confirmed it.

“I will go and prepare, if I win, I win and if I lose I will be happy that justice has been served,” he said.

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