…Says Emenike is Party’s Authentic Candidate
The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dealt a heavy blow to the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Mr Uche Ogah, in his claims to the governorship ticket of the party in Abia State.
The ruling party told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that Ogah was never the party’s candidate for the 2023 governorship poll, adding that it did not conduct the primary election that purportedly produced Ogah as a governorship candidate.
On the contrary, APC stated that its National Working Committee (NWC) conducted the May 26, 2022 primary election monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in which High Chief Ikechi Emenike emerged as its official governorship flag bearer.
The ruling party flatly disowned Ogah when its lead counsel Professor Sam Eruogo, opened the party’s defence in Ogah’s sut, urging the Federal High Court to dismiss it on two grounds.
According to the professor of law, the former minister, having not participated in the primary election conducted by the party’s NWC, has no locus standi to challenge the legally conducted primary election.
Eruogo also told the court that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the issues of the nomination of candidates for elective office by the party.
Prof Eruogo further informed the court that the primary election which the former minister purportedly conducted was unknown to any law in Nigeria because it was done by a faction of the Abia State chapter of the APC.
The APC counsel pointed out that the claim of Ogah that he emerged from a direct primary election holds no water because the Electoral Act makes it mandatory for a direct primary to be conducted in 184 wards of the state whereas Ogah conducted his purported primary inside his campaign office in Umuahia.
Professor Eruogo, therefore, asked the court to dismiss the former minister’s suit.
In his submission Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel for Emenike, prayed the court to uphold the nomination of his client on the ground that he emerged from a primary election lawfully conducted by the APC NWC.
He faulted the purported nomination of the former minister on the ground that no state chapter of any political party has the power to conduct a primary election for the selection of candidates.
The former minister had sued Emenike, APC, Abdullahi Adamu, and INEC, praying the court to compel the APC national leadership to submit his name to INEC as the lawful gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 poll in Abia.
The former minister told the court that the direct primary election through which he purportedly emerged was monitored by officials of INEC and that a report to that effect was made available by the electoral body.
He urged the court to nullify the nomination of Ikechi Emenike and order INEC to publish his name as the lawful APC candidate.
After taking the from parties, Justice Binta Nyako fixed November 11, for Judgement.