Ebonyi Election: Court Strikes Out Chukwu’s Suit Against Umahi
Francis Okoye
The former Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has lost in his suit challenging the declaration of Dave Umahi as the governor of Eboyi State.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, struck-out the suit by Prof. Chukwu, who was one of the aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries held in November 8, 2014.
Not satisfied with the party primary election,Prof Chukwu went to court challenging the legality of the PDP Congress that produced Umahi as the candidate of the party in the last general election.
However, on Tuesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Maureen Oyetenu in her two-hour judgment ruled that though Chukwu has the right to question the primary election as an aspirant, he ought to have participated in the exercise as stipulated by law and therefore struck out the suit.
Justice Oyetenu differed with the counsel to Umahi, Chief Offordile Okafor (SAN), who had argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to question the congress conducted by the party and ruled that where due process was not followed in the congress the court has the right to contest such exercise.
Counsel to the respondent, Umahi, Offordile Okafor, commended the court for the judgment which he described as victory for democracy.
Meanwhile, counsel to the plaintiff, Nnaemeka Ajiukwu, who stood in for Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), said that he would pursue the matter to the logical conclusion, adding that there were two more stages to cross aside the federal high court judgment and urged the court to make available a copy of the judgment for necessary action.
