2023: Dave Umahi Fails To Secure Senatorial Ticket In Court

Princess Ann Agom-Eze has been recorgnised as the senatorial candidate of the All Progresives Congress for Ebonyi South by a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Friday.

This came after Mr Austin Umahi, the younger brother of the state governor, withdrew from the race after gaining the ticket during party’s primary just to pave the way for the governnor who lost as a presidential candidate of the ruling party.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini had revealed it is criminal for politicians to obtain multiple forms, noting those involved in such act risk two years’ imprisonment.

UUmahi had through his counsel, who doubles as his elder brother, Roy Nweze Umahi, had dragged INEC to the Federal High Court in Abakaliki to compel the commission to recognise the governor as the authentic senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial District.

Daily Trust gathered that the second runner-up, Princess Agom-Eze, had reportedly withdrawn from the race.

But Agom-Eze, on Tuesday, approached the court and urged it not to recognise Governor Umahi as the senatorial candidate. She also, through her lawyer, denied having taken an affidavit for withdrawal.

At the court, Umahi’s counsel argued that the governor’s name should be recognised by INEC as the winner of the Ebonyi South Senatorial primary election which took place at Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state.

Mr. Austin Umahi (the governor’s younger brother) had withdrawn at the 2nd primary election conducted on June 9, 2022, wherein the governor was reported to have won unopposed.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 Progresives Congress as regards the Ebonyi South, whose primary held on May 28, 2022.

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