The Supreme Court Friday trashed the appeal of former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, and effectively buried his bid to establish that he was a governorship candidate in the last governorship election in Imo state.
Addressing a press conference in Owerri, the Imo state capital, the National Chairman of the Action Peoples Party (APP) and spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere said that the apex court has affirmed the argument of the APP that Uche Nwosu was never a candidate in the last Imo governorship election.
Justice Rhodes Vivour presided, but in a unanimous judgment read by Justice Amina Augie, the Court in the Suit filed by the Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere-led APP, held that by virtue of Uche Nwosu’s double candidature and in line with the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, he was bound to be disqualified from the election and thereby affirmed the judgments of the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Reacting to the judgment, Ikenga said: “Just a few minutes ago, the apex court finally quashed the over-bloated governorship ambition of Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law of former Governor Rochas Okorocha and his stooge through which Okorocha would have continued his stranglehold on the resources of Imo State and technically be holding office for a third term.”
He declared that Imo State was finally liberated from the Okorocha dynasty which for eight years fleeced and destroyed the state. He expressed joy that his Party was the one that sealed the fate of the Okorochas and freed Imo from their shackles.
He also called on the EFCC and the ICPC to take advantage of the judgment which has permanently stripped Uche Nwosu of his planned immunity and investigate him, Senator Rochas Okorocha and their ilks with a view to recovering every penny stolen by them from Imo state.
“By this judgment, the Election Petition Appeal against the election of Governor Emeka Ihedioha also before the apex court by Uche Nwosu is also dead and buried. This is because Uche Nwosu was not a validly nominated candidate for the election and therefore lacks the locus to file a petition before the Governorship Election Tribunal”, Ikenga said.
