Supreme Court affirms Ugwuanyi’s election

The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed the election of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Delivering judgement, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, leading four other justices, held that the appeal against his election at the April 11, 2015 governorship poll, was unmeritorious and merely academic in nature.
Ariwola, expressed disgust on the appellant’s insistence to pursue issues that had been previously decided, adding that it was baseless re-litigating on issue bordering on the primary election which produced Ugwuanyi.
According to the court, by the provision of Section 87 (4) and (9), the appellant who did not participate in the party primary election, lacked the locus-standi to query its outcome.
“There is no substance in this appeal and it is accordingly dismissed,” he said.
The court went ahead to award the sum of N1million cost against the appellant, in favour of the governor.
Senator Ayogu Eze had approached the court asking for the upturn of the governor’s victory in the April 11, 2015 governorship election.
The appellant had contended that Ugwuanyi was illegally nominated at the December 8, 2014, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election.
He told the court that the governor emerged from a “kangaroo’’ primary election.
The appellant averred that Ugwuanyi was merely handpicked by some persons at the National Headquarters of the PDP in Abuja, alleging that the purported primary election was organised with a fake list of delegates.
He had argued further that the primary election was in breach of section 87(4)(b)(I) of the Electoral Act.
Eze then prayed the court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which validated the March 2, 2015, judgment of Justice Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja which dismissed his suit.