Election 2023 Senatorial ticket: Umahi defeated in Court by Agom-Eze

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Princess Ann Agom-Eze on Friday emerged as the APC Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South Zone based on the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State.

Governor Umahi through his Counsel, Roy Nweze Umahi, had sued INEC in Abakaliki to compel it to recognise him as the bonafide senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South senatorial District.

However, on Tuesday, Princess Agom-Eze, who came second in the primaries, approached the court, asking them not to recognise Governor Umahi’s Senatorial bid.

Umahi’s Counsel held that the governor’s name as the 1st winner of the Ebonyi South Senatorial primary election that occurred at Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state should be recognised by INEC. 

Mr Austin Umahi (the governor’s younger brother), a contender, withdrew at the 2nd primary election on the 9th day of June 2022, wherein the governor was reported to have won unopposed.

Delivering his judgement on Friday, Justice Fatun Riman cited section 115 of the Electoral Act 2022, saying the governor was not an aspirant and cannot participate in the election or pre-election matters of the All Progressives Congress as regards the Ebonyi South zone, whose primary held on the 28th day of May 2022.

According to the above section of the new Electoral Act, the governor neither procured forms for nor participated in the election and cannot claim any right based on the primary election.

This is coming on the heels of a revelation by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, that politicians who procured multiple forms were criminals and risk two years imprisonment.

Reacting, the Counsel to Mrs Agom-Eze, Barr Nwonu Nnaemeka, said his team’s argument was its client, upon the withdrawal of Austin Umahi from the primary, she should claim all her rights as regards the exercise, being the second runner-up.

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