Romanus Ugwu, Abuja.
The Action Alliance (AA) has rejected last week’s ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, nullifying the candidature of its candidate in the Imo State 2019 governorship election, Uche Nwosu.
Reacting to the ruling, the party argued that it was given in error, insisting that its candidate never sought for the ticket or enlisted by the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate.
The party further emphasised that the Federal High Court ruling contradicts the earlier Supreme Court ruling that had confirmed Uche Nwosu as the governorship candidate of the AA in Imo State.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Charles Chukwuemeka, therefore called on the party supporters, Imo State electorate and Nigerians to disregard the ruling. A Federal High Court had last week ordered the INEC to remove the name of Uche Nwosu as a governorship candidate in the last election held in Imo State.
The presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo voided Nwosu’s candidacy on the grounds of double nomination by two political parties, the APC and the AA, in violation of Section 37 of the Electoral Act. The Action Peoples Party (APP) and its Deputy National Chairman, Uche Nnadi, instituted the case against the AA governorship candidate in Imo State.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo declared the nomination of Nwosu by AA as a governorship candidate, “invalid, null and void, having been made at the pendency of similar nomination of the second defendant (Nwosu) by the All Progressives Congress for the same position.”