Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the just concluded bye- election in Imo North senatorial district , Frank Ibezim, has vowed to challenge a court judgment banning him from seeking for or holding public positions for life.
An Abuja Federal High Court had at the eve of Saturday’ s bye-election barred him from holding public positions for life on grounds that he submitted forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission and the APC .
On the same day , a Court of Appeal in Owerri , disqualified Ifeanyi Araraume and declared Ibezim as the authentic APC candidate for the election .
Ibezim, who spoke to journalists , said , “ We are aware that the Court of Appeal is higher than the Federal High Court . So , there is no basis to argue who is the authentic candidate of APC for Imo North bye-election . The Appeal Court judgment had already declared me the authentic candidate of the party.
“ As for the Federal High Court judgment in Abuja , which banned me for life from contesting elections and holding public positions , we will look at it and definitely we will challenge it. Frank Ibezim is the authentic candidate of APC for Imo North bye-election as declared by a federal high court in Owerri . That is the most important thing . ”
MEANWHILE, The Peoples Democratic Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission , to nullify the participation of the All Progressives Congress, in the December 5, 2020 Imo North senatorial by -election over conflicting court orders .
Candidate of the PDP in the election , Emmanuel Okewulonu, made the call while briefing newsmen in Owerri on Monday .
Okewulonu argued that the Electoral Act does not allow a political party to contest an election without a valid candidate. He urged INEC to declare the PDP which garnered the second -highest number of votes in the election winner.
He said , “ Since two different courts of competent jurisdiction have disqualified the two major contenders from the APC, it means that the party has no candidate and is therefore disqualified from participating in the election ” .
“ If the said political party claims to have two candidates going into the election , that still disqualifies the party and we must be able to uphold the sanctity of the judiciary. ”
“ We hereby call on INEC to disqualify the APC on these grounds and declare the PDP winner of the Imo North senatorial by -election in line with the Electoral Act as amended. ”
Also speaking , Imo chairman of the PDP, Charles Ugwu , said the party would not allow what he described as a “ rape of democracy. ”
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