BEVERLY HILLS, March 29, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Awka, the Anambra state capital, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah, senator-elect of Anambra-south.
The order came following an application sought from the court by Chris Uba, senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the district.
Uba had asked for an order compelling INEC to prosecute the Returning Officer, Prof M.N. Umenweke, over criminal allegations of announcing or publishing a false result to the effect that Ubah won the February 23 election when they both knew that the said election was inconclusive and from which no genuine result had thereby been generated.
Handing down the order, the presiding judge, Justice I.B. Gafai, asked INEC to within 14 days, conduct investigation into the matter for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents.
“Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgement today, it hereby ordered as follows: The 1st Respondent (INEC) shall within 14 days from today conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the Applicant (Chris Uba),” the judgement read in part.
“Prosecute, if the investigation result so warrants, the third Respondent ( Ifeanyi Uba) and any other person(s) implicated in its investigation.
“Where it considers it inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider at its liberty, the appointment of the Applicant’s solicitors in this suit for the purpose of such prosecution.”
THEWILL recalls that Ubah won the senatorial election under the platform of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) but is touted to be nursing plans of defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
