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APC parallel primaries: Group makes clarification on litigations by Abia Guber candidate, Uche Ogah
An umbrella body in the fold of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Abia Rejoice Movement (ARM), has urged party members and general public to disregard the attempt to link the judgement delivered by the of court of appeal, Abuja with the suit filed by Dr Uche Sampson Ogah at the FCT high court in Abuja.
Ogah who was the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Development had on 26th of May 2022, emerged as the Abia governorship standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the recently-concluded gubernatorial primary elections for the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Abia state.
It was reported that Ogah was declared the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial primary elections after he scored 141,952 votes to beat his closest rival, Paul Ikonne who scored 27,054.
Other gubernatorial aspirants includes, Chief Ikechi Emenike who polled 9,446, Emeka Atuma with 7,429, Obinna Oriaku with 5,553, Alex Otti scored 2,41, and Daniel Eke who got 1,953 at the keenly contested direct primaries.
Against the primary election that saw Ogah’s emergence as APC governorship candidate of the APC in Abia state, a faction of the All Progressives Congress in the state, chaired by Kingsley Ononogbu, held a parallel primaries in another location the same day, wherein the factional APC leadership, choosed a former Pro-chancellor and the Chairman of the Board Council of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State, Ikechi Emenike as its gubernatorial flagbearer fof the main elections in the state.
Both candidates (Ogah & Emeinke), are already in court seeking judicial interpretation on the authenticity of the conducted exercise, and the actual winner of the parallel gubernatorial primaries held by the All Progressives Congress in the state.
On 31 August 2022, a court of appeal, affirmed Chief Ikechi Emenike as the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Abia State
The appellate court presided over by Hon. Justice B. Georgewill dismissed the appeal filed by the former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Uche Ogah and his followers who sought to nullify the candidature of Emenike.
In its judgment on the appeal No. CA/OW/269/2022: APC & ANOR Vs Ikechi Emenike & ANOR, the appellate court dismissed the appeal for lack of merit and endorsed the judgment of an Abia State High Court which recognised Emenike as the real candidate of APC..
Emenike had on his part, approached the court to determine if having won the governorship primary, the party can refuse forwarding his name to INEC, more so as a court of competent jurisdiction had dismissed his purported suspension from the party orchestrated by Ogah.
It was based on this that Justice Benson Anya in delivering his judgment in suit No HUM/31/2022, resolved the matter in favour of Emenike on June 24, 2022.
However, a statement by Chima Obiwuru on behalf of the media directorate of the Abia Rejoice Movement (ARM) on Sunday, against the backdrops of the above judgment by an Abuja appeallate court,which was delivered on 31st August 2022 by Honorable Justice B. Georgewill, clarified that that both lawsuits are distinct as the APC governorship candidate, Uche Ogah was not a party to the suit before the appeal court.
The organization which rallies support for Governorship candidancy of the former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, further informed the general public that Ogah’s suit at the Federal High court is still alive in regard to seeking judicial pronouncement on all reliefs sought thereat.
The Abia APC group stated partly, “today’s Court of Appeal judgment relates to the Judgement of the Abia State High Court Umunneochi Division which, against all known rule of fair hearing and pre-election Practice Direction of the Federal High Court, refused or neglected to join Dr. Uche Ogah as a necessary. Do you shave a man’s head in his absence?
“Dr. Uche Ogah’s suit at the Federal High Court is still alive in regard to seeking judicial pronouncement on all reliefs sought thereat.
“Assuming without conceding that, the matter affects Dr. Uche Ogah, it should be remembered that Court of Appeal is not the last and final court to adjudicate on this matter.
“Good news nonetheless is that Dr. Uche Ogah was not a party to the suit”.
Source: Thepressradio.com|Nigeria|Emeruwa Chijindu Emeruwa
