The Supreme Court has scheduled judgment for later today in one of the four appeals challenging the outcome of last governorship election in Imo State.

A seven-man panel of the court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, made the announcement after lawyers in the appeal marked: SC/1461,2019 filed by Ifeanyi Ararume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

After the last lawyer adopted his brief, Justice Muhammad said: “Judgement in this appeal is stood down.”

Respondents in the appeal are INEC, Emeka Ihedioha (the incumbent, whose election is being challenged) and his party, the PDP.

The court has commenced hearing the second appeal, which was filed by Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The Action Alliance’s governorship candidate in the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, on Tuesday, withdrew the appeal he filed against the election of Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

Nwosu is a son-in-law to the immediate-past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, who was elected to the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the 2019 general election in the state.

On Tuesday, Nwosu’s lawyer, Mr. Solomon Umoh (SAN), told the seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, that the decision to withdraw the appeal challenging the outcome of the last governorship election in Imo State was based on the judgment of the apex court delivered on December 20, 2019.

The referenced judgment of the Supreme Court was on a case marked SC. 1384/2019, which had declared that Nwosu was not validly nominated as a candidate of the AA to participate in the March 9, 2019 governorship poll, thus lacked the locus standi to file any case in connection with the election.

Announcing the decision to withdraw the appeal on Tuesday, Umoh said, “Based on the judgment of this court in appeal SC. 1384/2019 delivered on December 20, 2019, and subsequently, on my advice to my client, we have decided to withdraw this appeal.”

Responding, counsel for respondents to the appeal, including Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, urged the court to dismiss the appeal having been withdrawn.

Ruling, the seven-man panel unanimously dismissed the appeal.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has developed a timetable of activities with timelines for the re-run and supplementary elections in Imo scheduled for Jan. 25.

Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, made this known at a meeting of the commission with stakeholders in Owerri.

He said that an Appeal Court sitting in Owerri had ordered a re-run election for the Okigwe/Onuimo/Isiala Mbano Federal Constituency as well as supplementary elections in 18 polling units of Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and 12 polling units of Njaba state constituencies.

He said that all the polling units designed for supplementary elections in Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal constituency were in Orlu Local Government area, adding that the commission had scheduled Saturday, Jan.25, for the re-run and supplementary elections.

Ezeonu said that the commission would retain all the arrangements made during the general elections as it was concluding arrangements for the election as scheduled.

“We will also activate and use all the super Residential Area Centers (RAC) and RACs in Okigwe, Onuimo and Isiala Mbano LGAs, respectively, for camping on eve of the election on Jan. 24 for easy deployment of materials to the polling units on election day,” he said.

He said that the materials would be deployed in both Orlu and Njaba LGA directly from the INEC LGA offices, saying that the polling units where supplementary elections would hold were within reach.

The REC, therefore, appealed to stakeholders and communities where the centres are located to help maintain the sanctity and security of the centres as well as ensure a free and flawless elections.

According to him, “we will be fair and transparent in all we do.”

Ezeonu also reminded them about the rules guiding elections and election activities with restriction of movement in all the constituencies where elections would be held on that day.

He said that the exercise would be restricted to only political parties that participated in the earlier elections.

Mr Victor Nwokoabia, the Head of Department, Election and Party Monitoring Department, INEC in Owerri, urged the chairmen of political parties to submit list of their polling agents, one for each party, on or before Jan. 18.

He advised politicians and political parties not to bring in observers except those that would be cleared from the INEC headquarters.

Mr Ben Duru, the State Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), said that most of the political parties submitted the list of their party agents late in the last election and urged them to turn a new leaf.

Duru, who expressed confidence on the ability of INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible election, urged the security agents to release more staff for the election as well as work amicably with party agents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected R/As and polling units(P/Us) for Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency Supplementary Election are Ohafor/Okporo/Umutanze, Ohaeke Okporo, Umuna, Ihitte Owerre, Amaifeke and Eziachi/Amaike, aside others.

The affected R/As and P/Us for the supplementary election in Njaba State Constituency are Atta1, Atta 111, Nkume, Okwudor, Umuaka 1, Umuaka 11 and Umuaka 111.

NAN also reports that some of the stakeholders comprising town union presidents, chairmen of political parties, traditional rulers, heads of security agencies, the media and leaders of community-based organisations who attended the meeting commended INEC for doing its best in the last election.

Mr Chinedu Ukadike of the Peoples Party of Nigeria commended both the INEC and security agents for what he termed a work well done in the last election.

He urged the security agents to respect other stakeholders with identity cards during the elections.

Mr Anthony Ohaneku, the State Chairman of Action Alliance, demanded that party agents be allowed to make inputs before election results would be announced and for a credible election and fair treatment to all political parties.

(NAN)

The Supreme Court has scheduled judgment for later today in one of the four appeals challenging the outcome of last governorship election in Imo State.

A seven-man panel of the court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, made the announcement after lawyers in the appeal marked: SC/1461,2019 filed by Ifeanyi Ararume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

After the last lawyer adopted his brief, Justice Muhammad said: “Judgement in this appeal is stood down.”

Respondents in the appeal are INEC, Emeka Ihedioha (the incumbent, whose election is being challenged) and his party, the PDP.

The court has commenced hearing the second appeal, which was filed by Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Any moment from now the Supreme Court will give its verdict in the appeal challenging the legality of Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo State.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and presiding Justice of a seven member panel of Justices of the apex court, Justice Ibrahim Mohammad indicated that the court will deliver its judgment anytime today shortly after counsel representing parties in the appeal adopted their written statements as brief of their arguments in the appeal.

The appeal filed by candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Ararume in the March 9 governorship election in Imo State and his party, APGA, is seeking the nullification of the election of Governor Ihedioha on grounds of non compliance and irregularities during the March 9 governorship election in Imo State.

While the appeallants urged the apex court to allow the appeal and set aside the declaration of Ihedioha as winner of the governorship poll in Imo State, the respondents however urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.

After listening to their submissions for and against the appeal, the CJN said, “Appeal is stood down for Judgment”.

The Supreme Court has fixed January 20 to deliver judgment on an appeal from the governorship election in Kano State.

A seven-man panel of justices of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, fixed the date on Tuesday in Abuja at the hearing of the appeal filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 9 poll, Mr Abba Yusuf.

The court fixed Monday next week to decide the fate of the appeal after listening to arguments by the counsels representing the appellant and the respondents in the suit.

More to follow…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has developed a timetable of activities with timelines for the re-run and supplementary elections in Imo scheduled for Jan. 25.

Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, made this known at a meeting of the commission with stakeholders in Owerri.

He said that an Appeal Court sitting in Owerri had ordered a re-run election for the Okigwe/Onuimo/Isiala Mbano Federal Constituency as well as supplementary elections in 18 polling units of Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and 12 polling units of Njaba state constituencies.

He said that all the polling units designed for supplementary elections in Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal constituency were in Orlu Local Government area, adding that the commission had scheduled Saturday, Jan.25, for the re-run and supplementary elections.

Ezeonu said that the commission would retain all the arrangements made during the general elections as it was concluding arrangements for the election as scheduled.

“We will also activate and use all the super Residential Area Centers (RAC) and RACs in Okigwe, Onuimo and Isiala Mbano LGAs, respectively, for camping on eve of the election on Jan. 24 for easy deployment of materials to the polling units on election day,” he said.

He said that the materials would be deployed in both Orlu and Njaba LGA directly from the INEC LGA offices, saying that the polling units where supplementary elections would hold were within reach.

The REC, therefore, appealed to stakeholders and communities where the centres are located to help maintain the sanctity and security of the centres as well as ensure a free and flawless elections.

According to him, “we will be fair and transparent in all we do.”

Ezeonu also reminded them about the rules guiding elections and election activities with restriction of movement in all the constituencies where elections would be held on that day.

He said that the exercise would be restricted to only political parties that participated in the earlier elections.

Mr Victor Nwokoabia, the Head of Department, Election and Party Monitoring Department, INEC in Owerri, urged the chairmen of political parties to submit list of their polling agents, one for each party, on or before Jan. 18.

He advised politicians and political parties not to bring in observers except those that would be cleared from the INEC headquarters.

Mr Ben Duru, the State Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), said that most of the political parties submitted the list of their party agents late in the last election and urged them to turn a new leaf.

Duru, who expressed confidence on the ability of INEC to conduct a free, fair and credible election, urged the security agents to release more staff for the election as well as work amicably with party agents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the affected R/As and polling units(P/Us) for Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency Supplementary Election are Ohafor/Okporo/Umutanze, Ohaeke Okporo, Umuna, Ihitte Owerre, Amaifeke and Eziachi/Amaike, aside others.

The affected R/As and P/Us for the supplementary election in Njaba State Constituency are Atta1, Atta 111, Nkume, Okwudor, Umuaka 1, Umuaka 11 and Umuaka 111.

NAN also reports that some of the stakeholders comprising town union presidents, chairmen of political parties, traditional rulers, heads of security agencies, the media and leaders of community-based organisations who attended the meeting commended INEC for doing its best in the last election.

Mr Chinedu Ukadike of the Peoples Party of Nigeria commended both the INEC and security agents for what he termed a work well done in the last election.

He urged the security agents to respect other stakeholders with identity cards during the elections.

Mr Anthony Ohaneku, the State Chairman of Action Alliance, demanded that party agents be allowed to make inputs before election results would be announced and for a credible election and fair treatment to all political parties.

(NAN)