February 23, (THEWILL) – The court of Appeal, Awka, Anambra State, has declared Victor Umeh, as the senatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the Anambra Central district.
Presiding judge of the court, Olubunmi Oyewole, who read the judgement via zoom on Thursday, said the Federal High court erred when it disqualified Umeh as the party’s candidate.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Uche Ekwunife, the senatorial candidate of the PDP, had sued Umeh before the Federal High Court.
They argued that Umeh did not resign from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), before picking the LP ticket.
The Federal High Court, on January 27, in a ruling by Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, upheld the PDP’s case and disqualified Umeh.
Consequently, LP and Umeh, through their counsels, Alex Ejesieme and Patrick Ikwetoh respectively, appealed the judgement on the grounds that the PDP lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.
In the judgement, the court of appeal held that the federal high court erred when it disqualified Umeh as the party’s candidate.
The appellate court held that the suit was statute barred having been filed out of time.
The court also agreed that the respondents lacked the locus standi to file the suit.
The judgement of the federal high court was set aside and Umeh was affirmed senatorial candidate for Anambra central district.
