Abia Central: Onuigbo Floors Emeka Atuma At Supreme Court

Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency of Abia State, Rep. Sam Onuigbo as the duly elected candidate of All Progressives Congress APC for Abia Central senatorial district.

The matter, with case No SC/CV/1626/2022, is an appeal filed by the APC, following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, on October 4, 2022, which declared Sam Ifeanyi Onuigbo, instead of Emeka Atuma, as the duly nominated candidate from the primary organised by the party on May 28, 2022.

Shortly after Onuigbo was returned winner of the primary, Atuma, who was the first runner-up in the primary, started laying claims to the senatorial ticket.

Atuma noted that a repeat straw poll was held on June 7, 2022, even as he alleged that the national headquarters of the party canceled the original senatorial primary. He, therefore, approached the party to submit his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the nominee.

Based on purported moves by some leaders of APC to substitute his name, Onuigbo approached the Federal High Court, claiming, among other reliefs, that by virtue of Sections 29(1) and 84 of the Electoral Act 2022, Atuma did not participate in the processes leading to the conduct of the Abia Central Senatorial primary.

Onuigbo further noted that he defeated Henry Ikoh, who has been appointed a minister of state, by 157 to 152 votes, adding that the APC headquarters officially received result of the primary, which was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the National Assembly Primary Election Committee.