The participation of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Andy Uba in the concluded Anambra governorship election has been declared null and void by a federal high court sitting in Abuja.
Justice Inyang Ekwo in a judgment delivered on Monday said Mr Uba is not the candidate of the APC having emerged winner of the questionable primary the party conducted.
George Moghalu, an aspirant of the party, had approached the court alleging that the opposition party in the state failed to conduct a valid primary election, a submission the court agreed with.
Mr Moghalu, the plaintiff, had sued the party, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Uba as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
He told the court that he was informed a day before the primaries that the APC electoral committee would address all aspirants and stakeholders in Akwa, the state capital.
“Shockingly, on June 26, 2021, the said election committee was not seen anywhere in Anambra; no accreditation of voters took place; no voting and collation of votes occurred in all the 326 wards of Anambra state,” he said.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ekwo, who urged INEC to erase the name of Mr Uba as a candidate in the November 6 exercise, equally ordered the APC to refund to the plaintiff the N22.5 million he paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms since it failed to validly conduct the June 26 exercise which he said breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the APC guidelines.
“Therefore, the case of the plaintiff succeeds on its merit,” the judge ruled. “The 2nd defendant (INEC) is compelled to delist the name of the 1st defendant and 3rd defendant from the Nov. 6, Anambra governorship election.”
