The Federal High Court sitting in Owerri has dismissed the suit filed by the member representing Aboh Mbaisr/Ngor Okpala federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Bede Uchenna Ekeh, against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, challenging the outcome of the party primaries held in March, this year.
Ekeh, who had sought nomination of the PDP to return to the National Assembly, NASS, for the third consecutive term, lost to Engr. Albert Chibuzor Agulanna who polled the highest number of valid votes in the exercise.
Delivering judgement on the suit Tuesday, the court dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and upheld Engr. Agulanna as the authentic candidate of the PDP for Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala federal constituency election slated for 25th February, 2023.
Reacting to the judgement, the elated PDP candidate expressed gratitude to God Almighty for the victory and applauded the judiciary for its courage, pointing out that the landmark judgement has further proved the noble institution as the last hope of the common man.
He dedicated his victory to the younger generation of emerging political leaders and entire people of Aboh Mbaise and Ngor Okpala council areas as well as Imo State nay the country at large.
Agulanna used the occasion to extend an olive branch to the petitioner, Hon. Bede Ekeh his supporters and others still aggrieved over the outcome of the party primaries, urging them to support the party and put all that happened in the past behind them.
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According to him, since the primaries was held in the open and is not being contested to have been rigged, there should be no reason to allow the primaries hangover to subsist months after the exercise.
“It is only God that gives power. I call for peace and teamwork. I won’t disappoint our party and will do everything legally permissible to defend the mandate freely given to me by my party, the PDP.
“I am coming to change the narrative in the federal constituency with effective representation, jobs for the youths, better road networks, improved healthcare services and mobilization for the Owerri governorship project represented by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha,” he stated.
It would be recalled that Hon. Ekeh unsatisfied with the outcome of the primaries, dragged the PDP and its candidate, Engr Agulanna to the Federal High Court, Owerri, and prayed the court to invalidate the party primaries for being held in Owerri, the state capital, instead of the federal constituency but the court ruled that the prayer lacked merit in law.
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