Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by Okey Igwe, former running mate to late Prof. Uchenna Ikonne, the former PDP candidate in the 2023 Abia governorship election, challenging the candidacy of Dr Jasper Uche, who was chosen by Okey Ahiwe as his running mate after he emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a fresh primary that replaced late Prof. Ikonne.

In dismissing the case, the Appeal Court asked Igwe to pay the Abia PDP, Ahiwe and Uche, the sum of N500,000 as cost of litigation.

The appeal by Igwe followed the judgement of an Abuja High Court, which had earlier dismissed Igwe’s suit against the PDP, Ahiwe, and Uche on his substitution as the running mate to the new PDP candidate.

Reacting, the Abia PDP Vice Chairman, Elder Abraham Amah, in a statement, said that the victory at the Appeal Court is not only victory for the parties involved, but for the entire Abia PDP, the people of the state and for democracy, considering that it shows that the judiciary is still the absolute defender of democracy.”