APC crisis deepens as Court sacks guber candidate, Ikechi Emenike

Hours after Chief Ikechi Emenike was declared winner of Thursday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Abia State, a High Court has ruled otherwise.

It was gathered that Justice O. A. Chijioke of the High Court sitting in Abia ruled that Emenike was not qualified to participate in the APC primaries as he had earlier been suspended from the party.

The court ruling follows a suit instituted by Mr. Chinedum Nwole and two other party members against the candidature of Chief Emenike.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Chijoke held that both Emenike and the APC State Chairman, Chief Donatus Nwakpa breached article 9.3 of the APC constitution by going ahead to participate in the primary election.

He, therefore, declared their participation in the ward, local council, state and the recently held national convention of the party as illegal.

The Judge also directed the APC National Working Committee to desist from having further dealings with the duo based on the subsisting court order.

The ruling read in part, “That by the virtue of the suspension of the first defendant (Emenike) as a member of the second defendant (APC), the first defendant cannot participate in whatever form whatsoever in the activities of the second defendant including the scheduled ward, local government, state and national congresses of the second defendant due to to take place between 2021 and 2022.

“That order of injunction is hereby made restraining the first defendant from parading, dignifying and or posturing himself as a legitimate member of APC during the subsisting of his suspension from the party as prescribed by the constitution.”