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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
An ex-Army General, Ijioma N. Ijioma, has lost the battle to sack Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) , Prof Greg Ibe as the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, dismissed the suit seeking to disqualify Ibe as the party’s candidate.
Ijioma had approached the court seeking the cancellation of the May 29, APGA governorship primary alleging it was manipulated to favour Ibe.
He also claimed that the state Chairman of APGA, Augustine Ehiemere, used his position to confer undue advantage on Ibe over other contestants.
Ijioma in his statement of claims, further alleged that the party allowed Ibe to storm the venue of the primary election with thugs. He also alleged Ibe financially induced delegates to vote for him. He also alleged Ibe was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when he emerged as APGA governorship candidate, and that he had participated in PDP’s governorship primary held on May 25.
However, delivering judgment, the presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, held that the plaintiff failed to prove how Ibe was given undue advantage in the primary.
On the plaintiff’s claims that Ibe influenced the delegates by buying Toyota Sienna SUVs for all party local government chairmen, the court held that the action was not in any way different from the admittance by Ijioma, that he (Ijioma), provided coaster buses which conveyed over 200 delegates to the venue of the primary.
The court equally held that the plaintiff could not produce any admissible evidence to prove that Ibe was still a member of the PDP when he emerged APGA flag bearer.
Justice Anyadike also held that the plaintiff had in his oath of allegiance to APGA pledged to remain loyal to the party during and after the party primary, hence his resort to contest the outcome of the primary was a breach of his earlier oath of allegiance to the party.
The court further held that the choice of the candidate of any political party was a domestic affair of the party and not of the judiciary.
It, therefore, dismissed the suit for lack of merit, saying that the plaintiff failed to prove his case against the defendants.
Meanwhile, Professor Ibe said he has filed a stay of execution to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, nullifying the governorship primary in the state.
He has ,therefore, urged his supporters and APGA members in the state not to panic over the judgment.
Justice Binta Nyako of Abuja High Court, who delivered the judgement in a suit filed by Chief Chikwe Udensi, ordered a fresh primary within 14 days.
Udensi and Ijioma came third and fourth respectively in the May 29 primary won by Ibe, while Etigwe Uwa came second.
A statement by Prof Ibe’s Media Aide, Sleek Ogwo said his principal’s lawyers had appealed the judgment.
The APGA governorship candidate said Udensi and his sponsors would not be able to stop or prevail against the will of God, expressing hope that the Appellate court would uphold his candidacy.
He also said the inauguration of his Campaign Council scheduled for today while campaigns would continue as scheduled.
