Within hours, Court nullifies victory of Abia APC governorship candidate at primaries

The triumph of an aspirant, Chief Ikechi Emenike, the proclaimed winner of the the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary poll in Abia State was on Thursday cut short by a High Court in the state.

Emenike had been proclaimed winner of Abia APC’s tumultuous primary election, but the result was overturned by Justice O. A. Chijioke the same day.

Mr. Chinedum Nwole and two others sued, and the judge ruled that Emenike lacked the locus standi to run in the primary because he had already been suspended from the party.

By participating in the primary election, both Emenike and the APC State Chairman, Chief Donatus Nwakpa, broke article 9.3 of the APC constitution, according to the court.

Read also: In-fighting as Abia APC holds parallel congresses

Justice Chijioke declared their participation in the ward, local council, state and the recently held national convention of the party as illegal.

The ruling read in part, “That by the virtue of the suspension of the first defendant (Emenike) as a member of the second defendant (APC), the first defendant cannot participate in whatever form whatsoever in the activities of the second defendant including the scheduled ward, local government, state and national congresses of the second defendant due to take place between 2021 and 2022.

“That order of injunction is hereby made restraining the first defendant from parading, dignifying and or posturing himself as a legitimate member of APC during the subsisting of his suspension from the party as prescribed by the constitution.”

As a result, the judge ordered the party’s National Working Committee to stop interacting with the couple pending the outcome of the ongoing legal case.

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