Nigeria’s apex court, Supreme Court has declared Lamidi Apapa as the authentic chairman of the Labour Party, LP against the choice of Peter Obi, Julius Abure.
DAILY GIST recalls that the appellate judgement had recognized Lamidi Apapa as National Chairman and direct Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deal with Lamidi in terms of candidates of the party for the coming Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa governorship election.
The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the Imo State poll, Ukaegbu Ikechukwu Joseph, also expressed joy over the Supreme Court verdict that recognised the faction of Lamidi Apapa -led faction.
Ukaegbu, in a statement obtained on Friday stated that with the verdict he would be focused on his campaign to sell his mandates to voters across the state.
The Supreme Court, in a suit no:SC/cv/897/2023, dismissed an appeal filed by Basil Maduka, who had challenged Ukaegbu’s candidacy.
A five man panel of Supreme Court judges dismissed Maduka’s appeal challenging Ukaegbu’s candidacy
Maduka had approached the apex court of the land, seeking to upturn the affirmation of Joseph Ikechukwu Ukaegbu as the authentic candidate of Imo Labour Party by a Federal High Court Sitting in Bayelsa State.
The court in its ruling, also affirmed the authenticity of Apapa Led National Working Committee of the party, saying that Julius Abure was suspended by a court of competent jurisdiction as at the time the primary election was conducted in the state
However, Maduka, not satisfied, appealed the ruling at the Appeal Court in Owerrri, where Achonu sort to be joined in the matter to no avail. The appellate court in it’s ruling, dismissed Ahonu’s joinder application as well as Maduka’s matter for lacking merit.
Still not satisfied, Maduka approached the Supreme Court where his a matter again, was dismissed. The dismissal of his matter came barely one week after the same court dismissed Achonu’s joinder application on 11th September in suit no: SC/CV/845/2023.
The case that was dismissed on Thursday was filed by Maduka, challenging Ukaegbu’s ticket. At no point was Achonu’s or Abure’s name mentioned by the Supreme Court as beneficiaries of its ruling.
“What this means is that the judgement of the Federal High Court in Bayelsa and that of the Appeal Court in Abuja, affirming Ukakegbu’s guber candidacy of Imo Labour Party, subsists.
With the latest development, the Supreme Court has buried completely, Achonu’s 2023 Imo governorship ambition,” the statement added
