- Appellate Court reinstates Umeh as LP candidate for Anambra Central
The Yola Division of the Court of Appeal has cleared Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo, who currently represents Adamawa North in the National Assembly, to participate in tomorrow’s National Assembly election as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The appellate court’s verdict nullified the judgment of the State High Court, which upheld his expulsion from the ruling party, as earlier announced by the party’s leadership in his home Mubi North Local Government Area.
Last month, the lower court had ruled that since Abbo had been expelled by the local council executives of his party, he ceased to have access to the party’s ticket for the February 25 poll.
The Court of Appeal thus set aside the judgment of the State High Court which affirmed the expulsion of Abbo from the APC.
In his judgment yesterday, Justice Isaiah Olufemi Akeju of the Court of Appeal invalidated the lower court’s verdict and vacated all its orders against Abbo.
The court said the trial court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter, affirming that Abbo is a card-carrying member of the APC and is entitled to seek re-election into the Senate through his party’s ticket.
It awarded N500,000 as cost against the respondents to the senator.
Our correspondent reports that the Mubi North executives of the APC expelled Abbo last year for campaigning against the party’s same-faith presidential ticket.
Also, the Court of Appeal has reinstated Senator Victor Umeh as the Anambra Central senatorial candidate of Labour Party (LP).
A Federal High Court in Awka, the state capital, about three weeks ago, had disqualified Umeh without giving reasons.
It was learnt that yesterday’s verdict by the Appeal Court made the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Uche Ekwunife, to weep.
Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, who read the judgment via zoom, allowed the two appeals by the Labour Party and Senator Umeh to stand.
The Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court, Mr. Surajo Gusau, confirmed the judgment to our reporter.
Ekwunife and the PDP had gone to the Federal High Court in Awka to contest the validity of Umeh’s nomination for the LP.
The High Court, presided over by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, in a judgment on January 27, granted Ekwunife’s petition and disqualified Umeh.
But Umeh, through his counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme (SAN) and Patrick Ikwetoh (SAN), appealed the trial court judgment for lack of locus by the respondents and prayed the court to set aside the judgment.
Umeh and Ekwunife are from Anambra Central senatorial district, like the LP presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Other strong contenders in the senatorial district are: Chief Kodilichukwu Okelekwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).