Appeal Court Affirms Akpata As Edo LP Governorship Candidate

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon seeking to disqualify Olumide Akpata as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the appellate court held among others that Imansuangbon failed to explore the intra-conflict resolution mechanism of the labour party before rushing to court.

The court also held that his case was premature in law and could not be entertained on the ground that conditions precedent were not met.

The unanimous judgment of the three-man panel of justices also held that Imansuangbon failed to tender the disputed results of the February 23 primary election of the party, which he claimed to have won.

It would be recalled that in June, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja dismissed a suit seeking to void the nomination of Akpata as the LP candidate in the September 21 election.

In the judgement, Justice Omotosho upheld the arguments by Akpata’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, (SAN) that the plaintiffs were without the legal right to institute the suit.