Appeal Court Orders Re-run Election In Anambra Central Senatorial Zone In 90 Days

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday set aside an earlier judgment of Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court Abuja, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct Anambra Central Senatorial re-run election within 90 days with the exclusion of PDP and its candidate (Peter Obi).
There is no room for a fresh candidate in a court ordered election, the court rules.
The Court of Appeal was deliberating in Victor Umeh vs Peter Obi over the vacant Anambra Central Senatorial Seat.
The ruling brought another round of jubilation in Anambra and Abuja where Umeh’s supporters and APGA members said their victory had finally come.
However, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is crying foul, saying the ruling was given without consideration to an outstanding pre-election matter, also in the Court of Appeal Abuja, in which he is seeking a declaration that he is rightful candidate of the Party and ought to be sworn-in as Senator representing the zone.
He spoke through a statement by his campaign office which said they welcome the Appeal court ruling though.
Said Okonkwo’s statement: “In his appeal, Okonkwo averred that he rightfully, and convincingly, won the PDP primary election. this judgment He also contests that by virtue of a Court of Appeal decisive judgment that Hon. Uche Ekwunife should not have been fielded as candidate for PDP, and therefore invalidated her purported election, that he becomes the rightful candidate that should be declared as senator representing Anambra central at the Senate.
“In his Appeal, which judgment in expected in December, Okonkwo argued that a re-run election, as now ordered by another panel of judges of the court, is unnecessary since his pre-election matter is yet to be determined.
“Recall that Hon. Ekwunife was removed from the Senate by the Court of Appeal in Enugu on the grounds that she was wrongly nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and as such, ought not to have been fielded in the 2015 election.
Following the judgment, the PDP recognized Dr. Okonkwo as its properly nominated candidate for the Anambra Central senatorial election.
“Consequent upon that judgment, Dr. Okonkwo approached the Courts seeking an order upholding his nomination as rightful PDP candidate for the district.
He is also asking a declaration by the Court of Appeal that as rightful candidate of the party, he ought to be sworn-in as Senator representing Anambra Central on argument that PDP actually won the election.
“By virtue of the pending suit, the court-ordered re-run election will therefore be an action nullifying the electoral will of people of the district who voted massively for Dr. Okonkwo as votes cast in the election are still valid and not invalidated by any court.”