Court adjourns hearing on suit seeking to nullify Abia APGA guber primary

Court adjourns hearing on suit seeking to nullify Abia APGA guber primary

By Steve Oko

The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Wednesday adjourned hearing till the next day ( Thursday), suit seeking to nullify the May 29 governorship primary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State.

Wawa News Global reports that one of the governorship aspirants, Gen. Ijioma N. Ijioma who came third at the May 29 primary is challenging the candidacy of the flag bearer, Professor Greg Ibe, alleging that the outcome of the exercise was predetermined in Ibe’s favour.

The retired General is among other prayers, seeking the relief of the court to be declared winner of the contest or the nullification of the primary, and a fresh one conducted.

APGA, Ibe, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, are the first, second and third defendants respectively.

When the matter came up for hearing Wednesday, all the parties through their Counsels adopted their applications and processes.

Ijioma’s lawyer, Yunus Ustaz, SAN, applied for the withdrawal of two previous replies to the defendants’ statement of defense which he said, had been overtaken by events, an application granted by the court as there was no opposition.

The plaintiff, Gen Ijioma who was also the Chief Witness was docked for cross examination by the defendants’ counsels.

There was, however, a mild drama when one of the exhibits he tendered in court, an audio conversation he alleged he had with the second defendant which he claimed he recorded with his i-phone could not play well.

He claimed that the delegates were compromised to vote in favour of Ibe, a claim the defendants’ counsels said was defective.

Ijioma also claimed that Sienna cars allegedly donated by Ibe to the Council Chairmen of the party were to influence them to work in his favour.

But during cross examination, Counsel to APGA Emeka Etiaba, SAN, asked Ijioma to explain the difference between the effect of the sienna cars allegedly donated to party Chairmen by Ibe; and the six coaster buses that he (Ijioma) said he hired to convey over 200 delegates to the convention ground.

Etiaba also asked Ijioma the difference between what he was accusing Ibe of, and the party membership cards that he said he (Ijioma) printed and distributed to party members across the state.

On the claims by Ijioma that Ibe did not resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before participating in the APGA primary, Etiaba asked him if he knew Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who was also formerly in the PDP governorship race before joining APGA, but the Retired General could not confirm that he knew Abaribe, saying he only heard about him.

Etiaba later put it to the Witness that Senator Abaribe now the APGA senatorial candidate for Abia Central, was also among PDP governorship aspirants before dumping the party for APGA.

He later asked Ijioma if he were aware that APGA granted waiver to Ibe to contest for governorship in the party, an inquiry he affirmed.

Asked by Ibe’s lawyer, A. C Okorafor, if he protested against Ibe’s participation in the APGA primary at the venue of the primary on the grounds of his claims that Ibe was still a PDP member then, he said he was not given the opportunity.

He was equally cross examined on his claims that Ibe came to the venue of the primary with about 25 thugs if there were any arrests since he admitted that security agencies were on ground but he blamed the party leadership for allegedly not taking action.

When asked why he believed that the primary was manipulated in favour of Ibe when all the contestants were given time to address the delegates before the commencement of the exercise, he said he was not given enough time.

After listening to all the parties, the presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, asked the plaintiff to produce his remaining witnesses for cross examination the next day ( Thursday).

She promised to give the matter accelerated hearing so as to deliver judgement on record time.

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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.

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