Yemisi Izuora
An Abuja High Court has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to show cause, within 48 hours, why Senator Hope Uzodinma should not be the governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, having won the primary.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed by Uzodinma, wherein he asking the court to restrain the APC and INEC from processing or forwarding any other name as the Imo state governorship candidate of the party except that of himself.
Senator Uzodinma, in suit No FCT/HC/BW/ CV/306/18, sought five reliefs from the court, presided over by Justice A.O. Musa, among which is an injunction restraining APC from conducting fresh primary in Imo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The senator, who was declared winner of the APC governorship primary by Alhaji Ahmed Gulak panel, also sought order restraining INEC from monitoring another primary in Imo for the governorship election.
He also sought an order of the court directing APC, as the first defendant, to forward his name to INEC (second defendant) as the duly elected candidate of APC for the governorship election in Imo State.
The lawmaker equally sought an order restraining INEC from accepting or processing any other name except that of himself (Uzodinma) as the APC candidate in Imo state, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Finally, he sought the court’s order for INEC to continue to process his name (Uzodinma) as the duly elected governorship candidate of APC in Imo State until the matter is determined.
After hearing the prayers, Justice A.O. Musa of the High Court in Bwari gave both APC and INEC 48 hours within which to show cause why the reliefs sought by Uzodinma should not be granted.
He also ordered the defendants to make appearance in court within five days. Justice Musa, in addition ordered that the matter should be given an accelerated hearing.
Meanwhile, Imo Youths Vanguard has said any attempt to field another candidate, except Uzodinma, will spell doom for the APC.
In a statement in Owerri, Imo youths insisted that Uzodinma won the primary.
President of the group, Emmanuel Kanu, wondered why those who lost out in the primary to Uzodinma did not follow due process, by first going to the party’s Appeal Panel, but rushed to the APC NWC instead.