Courtroom disqualifies Governor Dave Umahi from 2023 senatorial election

A Federal Excessive Courtroom sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State, on Friday, has disqualified Governor Dave Umahi from contesting the 2023 senatorial election within the 2023 normal election beneath the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The courtroom thereafter acknowledged Princess Ann Agom-Eze, because the senatorial candidate of APC, after the youthful brother of the governor, Mr Austin Umahi, stepped down after profitable the primary primaries that was performed by the occasion.

Governor Umahi by his Counsel, Roy Nweze Umahi, had dragged the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC), to the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abakaliki, to compel the fee to recognise the governor because the genuine senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South senatorial District.

However Princess Agom-Eze, on Tuesday, approached the courtroom and urged it to not recognise Governor Umahi’s Senatorial bid.

Umahi’s Counsel argued that the governor’s identify ought to be recognised by INEC, therefore the first winner of the Ebonyi South Senatorial major election which befell at Afikpo North Native Authorities Space, within the state.

Choose mentioned Governor Umahi can not take part within the major

Whereas delivering his judgement, Justice Fatun Riman, cited part 115 of the Electoral Act 2022, saying the governor was not an aspirant and can’t take part within the election or pre-election issues of the All Progressives Congress as regards the Ebonyi South zone, whose major held on the twenty eighth day of Might, 2022.

The decide mentioned that in accordance with the above part of the brand new Electoral Act, the governor neither procured kinds for nor participated within the election and can’t declare any proper primarily based on the first election.

Of their response, the Counsel to Mrs Agom-Eze, Barr Nwonu Nnaemeka, mentioned his workforce’s argument was that upon the withdrawal of Austin Umahi from the first election, she ought to declare all her rights as regards the train, being the second runner-up.

What you must know

• Recall that Umahi‘s youthful brother, Chief Austin Umahi, had emerged because the winner of the primary major election performed by the APC.
• However after dropping on the APC presidential major election, the Ebonyi State chapter of the occasion cancelled the sooner major and rescheduled one other one the place the governor received the rerun election to choose the ticket.
• The rescheduled Ebonyi South APC Senatorial major election was later held on the Afikpo North Native Authorities Council, with Umahi clinching the occasion’s senatorial ticket after different contestants, together with his youthful brother, stepped down for him.
• The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, had earlier mentioned that politicians who procured a number of kinds have been criminals and threat 2 years imprisonment.

Associated