JUST IN: [Details] Court Disqualifies Victor Umeh As LP’s Candidate For Senate, Anambra Central
The Labour Party candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District in the February 25 general election, Chief Victor Umeh, was yesterday the 27th of January 2023 disqualified by a Federal High Court 1, sitting in Awka.
The Federal High Court 1, Awka presided over by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, disqualified Chief Umeh on the grounds of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
In about three-hour judgments, Justice Nganjiwa declared that Chief Umeh didn’t comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act as it concerns his membership status in a party primary.
The court also noted that there was no evidence that the resignation letter by Umeh to the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance was acquired by the party.
The court said his name was still in the membership register of APGA as of September 30, 2022contested the party’s primary.
It also said Umeh’s name was not in the membership register of the Labour Party as of June 3, 2022, the date of the primary of the LP.
The court, therefore, declared as null and void the publication of Umeh’s name as a candidate earlier by the Independent National Electoral Commission, as he failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the LP constitution.
The court, therefore, declared the publication null and void and of no effect.
The court also issued an injunction restraining Umeh from parading himself as the senatorial candidate of LP.
The injunction also prevented the LP from accepting or presenting Umeh as her candidate.
Efforts to get Umeh’s reaction proved abortive as his telephone line indicated switched off.
However, one of his media aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Umeh was in Achalla for his campaign rally and had switched off his line.
Consequent to the development the supporters of Chief Umeh have been waiting eagerly to get an official statement from their principal while their counterparts who reacted to the judges commended the court for ensuring that justice prevailed in the case.