The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, on Friday has upheld the election of Francis Nwifuru of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the elected governor of Ebonyi State in the March 18, governorship poll.
Recall that the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja had affirmed the election Nwifuru as the winner of the gubernatorial contest that was held in the State.
Justice A. Ogunmoye-led three-member panel, in separate judgements, unanimously dismissed two petitions that were brought against governor Nwifuru by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Chief Chukwuma Odii, as well as that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and its candidate, Prof. Benard Odoh.
The tribunal stated that the petitioners failed to establish their allegations that governor Nwifuru did not secure the majority of lawful votes that were cast during the election.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, Odii and the PDP approached the Appeal court to nullify the APC election and declare him the winner.
However, the State and National Assembly Appeal Court 3-member panel presided over by Justice Jummai Sankey in its judgment, dismissed the appeal by Odii of the PDP.
The court resolved all the five issues raised in favour of Nwifuru and dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.
Justice Sankey in the lead judgment held that the PDP and its candidate lacked the legal right to meddle in the internal affairs of the APC as it relates to the nomination of candidates.
