Courts validate Gov Diri, Ubah’s poll victories

The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed the election of Sen. Ifeanyi Uba of Young Progressives Party (YPP) as duly elected to represent Anambra South Senatorial district at the National Assembly.

The apex court in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeals brought by Chief Chris Uba and Dr Obinna Uzor, challenging the election of Ifeanyi Ubah.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta who led four other Supreme Court Justices held that the FCT High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction to determine a matter that arose from primary election conducted in Anambra.

According to Ngwuta, the cause of action emanated from Anambra and not the FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Court Of Appeal Abuja Division in March 2020, set aside FCT High Court judgment which ordered the removal of Ifeanyi Ubah from office as senator representing Anambra South Senatorial district.

Dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal’s decision, Chris Uba and Obinna Uzor approached the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment.

Chris Uba and Obinna Uzoh through their counsel Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN and Chino Obiagwu, SAN respectively had urged the Supreme Court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which had voided the judgment of Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT High Court.

They urged the apex court to allow their appeals on the grounds that the FCT High Court has territorial jurisdiction over pre-election matters among other issues raised in the appeal.

However, Counsel to Sen. Ubah, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeals on the grounds that FCT High Court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to entertain a cause of action that emanated from Anambra.

In his reaction, Ubah dedicated the judgment to God and assured that the development would enable him to settle down and be better focused in delivering his electoral promises to his constituents.

“I thank the Justices of the Supreme Court for standing for truth and justice. This has once again shown that our justices cannot be intimidated.

“I give God all the glory that this has come to pass, I dedicate this victory to God and the people of Anambra South who stood by me through the trial.

“I equally dedicate this victory to my dear wife, Uche Ubah whose birthday is today.

“It is time to settle down to deliver quality representation to my constituents,’’ Ubah said.

(NAN)

In another development, the court of appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo state on Tuesday dismissed an appeal filed by Ndutimi Alaibe which challenged the emergence of Douye Diri as the winner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primary election in Bayelsa.

Alaibe, who was also a governorship aspirant of the PDP for the 2019 election, had instituted a suit against the party, Diri and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the federal high court in Owerri.

The Court which on Tuesday affirmed the judgment of the lower court, dismissed the suit for lacking merit.

It would be recalled that Diri was on February 13, pronounced as Bayelsa state governor after the Supreme Court sacked David Lyon less than 24 hours before his inauguration as governor of the state.

The apex court faulted Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, his running mate, for submitting forged credentials with multiple names to INEC.

Alaibe had dragged the governor and the @inecnigeria to court over what he described as a ‘flawed process’ of the PDP primary.

But a High Court judge Tijjani Ringim, had on March 10, dismissed Alaibe’s suit for lacking merit.

According to him, “Evidence available to me indicates that the process leading to the emergence of Diri as the candidate of the PDP in the September 3 governorship primaries in Bayelsa was legitimate.”

“I hereby dismiss this suit for lack of merit.”

Not satisfied with the ruling, Alaibe proceeded to the Court of Appea