Imo gov: Supreme Court affirms Achonu’s candidacy, legitimises Abure leadership of LP

With this judgement by the Supreme Court, Apapa’s plot to hijack the affairs of the LP has finally come to an end.

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Supreme Court has struck out an appeal brought before it by Basil Maduka against the Labour Party (LP) over the lawful candidate of the party for the forthcoming Imo State governorship election.

Leading a panel of five, Justice Iyang Okoro on Thursday dismissed the appeal on the ground of locus standi.

He also cautioned the appellant for abusing court process and wasting the time of the courts all through from the lower courts.

Two other respondents in the matter were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Lamidi Apapa-led candidate, Joseph Ukaegbu, alias Ikenga, whose request to seek for a consequential order was also rejected by the Supreme Court.

With this judgement by the Supreme Court, Apapa’s plot to hijack the affairs of the LP including the powers to nominate candidates has finally come to an end, said the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.

Speaking to the media shortly after the judgment, counsel to the LP, Okwudili Anozie, said: “Today at the Supreme Court, the antics of Basil Maduka and his accomplice Joseph Ukaegbu, alias Ikenga, was put to an end as they met their Waterloo at the Apex Court.

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“Today was a culmination of their deceit and lies to Imolites spanning from their misrepresentation of the true position of the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.

“Upon the exposure and collapse of their lies before the Supreme Court today, Basil’s Counsel, with tails in between his legs, immediately withdrew his subterfuge appeal that was aimed at giving credence to Ukaegbu’s sham, non-existent primaries.

“The Supreme Court didn’t entertain Ukaegbu’s counsel’s ignorant attempt to seek for a consequential order, which even a first year student of law knows cannot be sought by a Respondent especially in this case where the appeal was dismissed.

“Indeed, today has been a day of reckoning for evil doers whose sole plan was to stop the aspiration of Imolites in their determination to Take Imo Back through Senator Athan Nneji Achonu.”