The Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed an ex-parte motion by the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) seeking to replace Athan Achonu as the governorship candidate for Saturday’s election in Imo.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a brief ruling, declined to grant the motion recognizing Chief Joseph Ukaegbu, the faction’s candidate, as the party’s standard-bearer.
The judge directed the plaintiffs’ counsel, Mohammed Mohammed, SAN, to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the sole defendant, of the motion.
“I am going to allow you to adopt it (the motion), but I will not grant it. I am not granting you the application today as you have to bring it to court. Let it be that they have been served and they are not in court,” Justice Ekwo stated.
He explained that further orders on the motion would be considered after hearing from the defendant (INEC) and adjourned the matter until Friday for INEC to present its case.
The plaintiffs, including LP, Alhaji Apapa (Acting National Chairman), Alhaji Lawal Saleh (Acting National Secretary), and others, had sought injunctions restraining INEC from recognizing any other candidate claiming the LP gubernatorial ticket in Imo, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
They also requested orders compelling INEC to recognize Ukaegbu as the LP governorship candidate.
The motion was filed against INEC as the sole defendant, and the court set the matter for further consideration on Friday.
