Eke loses bid to stop Emenike, Ogah from flying APC guber flag in Abia

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By Steve Oko

Chief Daniel Eke, Friday, lost his bid to stop Chief Ikechi Emenike, and Dr Uche Ogah from flying the governorship flag.

This is as a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Friday dismissed his suit seeking to nullify the emergence of the duo in a parallel primaries.

Wawa News Global reports that Emenike and Ogah, respectively, have continued to lay claims to the governorship flag.

While Chief Emenike emerged through indirect primary, Ogah emerged through direct primaries.

Dissatisfied with the conduct of the primaries, one of the governorship aspirants, Dr Daniel Eke, approached the High Court, urging it to nullify both exercises.

Eke, in the suit, argued that Emenike’s indirect primary contradicted the party’s directive that direct primary election be conducted in Abia.

Similarly, he argued that Ogah emerged through direct primary but claimed that the exercise was neither conducted by the national leadership of APC nor supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He equally claimed that the exercise was shrouded in secrecy, saying that while he was busy looking for the venue of the primaries, the claimants wrote the results of the purported primaries.

But delivering judgement in the suit, presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn, dissmised the suit, saying that the plaintiff lacked the local standi to challenge the outcome of the primaries which he said he did not participate in.

According to the Court, only an aspirant who participated in a primary election that has the locus to challenge the outcome of such election.

The Court further held that the choice of a party’s candidate remains an internal affair of the party, hence, the court will not interfere in in.

Justice Anyadike, further held that the inability of the plaintiff to locate the venue of the primaries was not justiceable.

Responding, Counsels to Emenike, H. O Afolabi, SAN; as well as his APC , hailed the ruling, describing it as “well seasoned.”

Ogah’s lawyer, Oliver Amuzie, also described the judgement as well articulated.

But Chief Eke, who was present at the court, expressed disappointment with the judgement which he said was “a serious anomally.”

He vowed to appeal it and pursue the matter up to the Supreme Court until he gets justice.

Eke expressed shock that after APC would claim that he was not its registered member after collecting N50 million from him as cost of nomination form.

Meanwhile, Ogah still has a pending suit against Emenike’s candidacy at the appeal court.

Emenike’s name was shortlisted on the INEC final list on Tuesday as APC’s governorship candidate for Abia in the 2923 poll.

Wawa News Global reports that Chief Emenike has about 23 law suits against his governorship bid but about 19 have so far been decided in his favour.

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Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.