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From Godwin Tsa Abuja and Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Confusion yesterday trailed the Imo north senatorial poll as two different courts gave conflicting judgements over who is the validly nominated candidate for the All Progresive Congress (APC).
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, declared Ifeanyi Araraume, as candidate for the party and winner of the poll, while a High Court sitting in Owerri ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) not to issue certificate of return to Araraume
The Imo High Court presided over by Justice C. O Agada ordered INEC not to recognise Araraume as the winner of the election until the substantive matter before it has been determined
Ararume had dragged INEC, APC and Chukwuma Francis IIbezim before the Federal High Court praying for an order to compel INEC to recognise him as APC senatorial candidate in the election won by the party.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo who delivered the judgment ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Ararume as the winner of the December 5, 2020 bye-election for Imo North Senatorial District and issue him Certificate of Return within 72 hours from the delivery of the judgment for him to be formally inaugurated by the Senate President.
The judge held that Ararume remained the authentic candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the election and should be declared the winner.He dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the APC and Chukwuma Ibezim challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain Ararume’s suit.
The judge held that the objection lacked merit because Ibezim being purported by APC as its candidate in the by-election had been disqualified by a Federal High Court and later Court of Appeal for supplying false information to INEC to secure clearance for participation in the election.
Meanwhile, Senator Representing Imo West Senatorial District, Senator Rochas Okorocha has joined other well-meaning Nigerian to congratulate Araraume on his victory.
Okorocha in a statement by his media adviser, Sam Onwuemeodo said with Araraume in the Senate, lmo state would now have two senators of APC extraction at the National Assembly, out of the three senators from the state which he described as a wonderful development.
He said Araraume having previously served in the senate for two terms, would be expected to bring his wealth of experience to bear for the good of the people of Imo North and Nigerians in general.
He urged Senator Araraume to carry everybody in his senatorial district along, not minding the political parties or political camps they belong to, just as he commended the judiciary for proving that it remained the last hope of the common man.
On his part, Ibezim described the judgement as shocking.
