From Chuks Moses, Awka
The Federal High Court, Awka presided over by Hon Justice H. A. Nganjiwa on Friday disqualified Chief Victor Umeh from contesting in the fast approaching Feb 25,2023 Senatorial election for Anambra Central.
The court, in a 3- hour judgment which was described by legal practitioners as “erudite”, disqualified Umeh on the grounds of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act as it concerns the membership status of a contestant.
Umeh, a strong ally of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, was to contest for the senatorial district of Obi.
The court noted that there was no evidence that the resignation letter by Chief Umeh to the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) was actually received by the party. Hence his name was still in the register of members of APGA as at Sept 30, 2022 when he was said to have contested the party’s primary. And that his (Umeh’s) name was not in the register of members of Labour Party as of June 3, 2022, the date of primary of 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 (INEC), as he failed to comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the LP constitution.
Court also issued an injunction restraining Umeh from parading himself as Senatorial candidate of LP. The injunction also prevented the LP from accepting or presenting Umeh as her candidate.ncy.
