Appeal Court rules on Umeh vs PDP today

The Court of Appeal, Abuja division will today rule on the application by the senatorial candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for Anambra central Senatorial seat, Sir Victor Umeh, to be joined in the main appeal filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against a Federal High Court judgment.

Justice Anwuri Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja; had in the ruling directed INEC to include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the ballot for the rerun election for Anambra Central Senatorial district, which was made vacant following the sacking of the former occupant, Senator Uche Ekwunife, by the Appeal Court, Enugu for not being properly nominated.

However, following INEC’s appeal against the Federal High Court judgment, the APGA senatorial candidate applied to be joined as an interested party, arguing that since the matter has much to do with his candidacy, he should be joined to protect his legal rights.

PDP had while opposing Umeh’s application contended that the 90 days handed out by the Enugu appellate court for the conduct of the election had elapsed and asked the court to strike out the application, so as not to further waste the time of the court.

The Court of Appeal had penultimate week reserved ruling indefinitely on the application, promising to communicate with parties when the ruling was ready even as it adjourned sitting to September 21 for continuation of hearing on the application by MPPP and UPP as well as on the substantive appeal by INEC.

The rerun election to Anambra Central senatorial has been held up by litigations after the Court of Appeal, Enugu division removed Ekwunife in a controversial ruling in which it delved into the primary election of the senator instead of adjudicating who actually won the March 28, 2015 senatorial election.

Ekwunife has also approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash the Appeal judgment on the grounds that it violated apex court precedents, including its recent ruling in the case of Benue State governorship poll.