INEC replaces APC Enugu East senatorial candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission has replaced Lawrence Ezeh, the All Progressives Congress’ Enugu East Senatorial candidate with Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha.

The replacement comes after a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu nullified Ezeh’s candidature stating that he was not properly nominated by the party.

Ezeh defected to APC from the opposition People’s Democratic Party after he failed to clinch the party’s senatorial ticket during its primary in October 2018.

Following his defection, the nominated candidate during the ruling party’s primary Uchenna Ezemba stepped down for Ezeh which gave room for him to appear on the ballot paper during the senatorial poll in March.

Ogbu-Aguocha who came second during the primary challenged the decision of the party to field Ezeh in court stating that he was not a member of the party as of the time the primary election was held.

She asked the court to declare her the duly elected candidate of the APC since Ezemba, who emerged winner of the primary, had withdrawn from the contest.

The presiding judge, Ibrahim Buba ruled that the plaintiff, Ogbu-Aguocha, who came second in the APC senatorial primary election, was the rightful candidate since Ezemba, voluntarily stepped down.

The electoral body, however, replaced Ezeh’s name with that of Ogbu-Aguocha in its final senatorial candidate list published on its website on Thursday.