Anambra Gov Poll: Court nullifies APC's primary election

.....voids Andy Uba's candidacy

By Our Correspondent

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on has nullified the primary election that produced Senator Andy Ubah as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the governorship election that held in Anambra state on November 6.

The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that APC substantially failed to comply with both the electoral guidelines for the conduct of governorship primary election, as well as its own constitution.

It held that the APC, having failed to comply with the law in the conduct of its primary, was therefore bereft of any valid candidate for the gubernatorial poll.

The judgement followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/648/2021, which was brought before the court by an aggrieved APC governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. George Moghalu.

The plaintiff alleged that the party had in violation of its constitution and guidelines, handpicked Senator Andy Uba in a kangaroo primary election conducted around 6pm on June 26.

Moghalu, who was among 14 aspirants that purchased forms to contest the Anambra governorship election on the platform of the APC, told the court that the said process that produced Uba, took place after all other aspirants and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had left the venue.

He accused the party of acting in breach of mandatory provision of Article 18 of its guidelines, which he said stipulated that accreditation for such primary election must start by 8am and end by 2pm.

Consequently, he urged the court to nullify the APC primary election and order a fresh one.

More so, the plaintiff, through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, wants the court to declare that, by virtue of the APC’s alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and the party’s regulations and guidelines in the conduct of its primary in Anambra State, Uba “is not a candidate at the said 6th November 2021 gubernatorial election or at any subsequent postponement.”

He applied for a declaration of the court that the APC was bound to comply with all the relevant legal provisions in the conduct of its primary election after having demanded and received N22.5million from him and other 13 aspirants.

As well as, a declaration of the court that having failed to comply with the relevant applicable laws, the APC, has no candidate for the forthcoming governorship election.

Aside from demanding a refund of the N22.5million he paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms, the Plaintiff, prayed the court to restrain Uba from holding himself out or parading himself as the candidate of the APC in the said election.

Meanwhile, in its judgement, aside from invalidating Ubah's candidacy, the court, ordered APC to refund the fees Moghalu paid to obtain both his nomination and expression of interest forms.