The Federal High Court in Owerri, on Thursday, 8th November, 2018, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) to maintain states quo except the publication of the applicant’s name.
House of Assembly Candidates who emerged from the October 6, 2018 primaries conducted by Brigadier-General Ibrahim Agbabiaka had individually approached the Federal High Court in Owerri for an order restraining the 1st (APC) and 3rd (INEC) defendants, their privies, servants, agents or anyone acting on their behalf or any organ of the All Progressives Congress from giving vent to claims or trying to substitute their name with any other name or publishing any other person who did not win the Primary election of the 6th day of October, 2018. They also want the court on the alternative order for the stay and maintaining the order of status quo except to the publishing of the Applicant’s name; the Applicant having been declared the winner of the election and the Certificate of return having been raised and issued to the applicant.
In granting the Order, the Court presided by Hon. Justice M.T. Salihu ordered the parties to maintain status quo except the publication of the Applicant’s name until the final determination of the motion on Notice before the Court.
With this development, the House of Assembly Candidates elected on the October 6, 2018 Primaries would have their names published by INEC pending the determination of the Motion on Notice before the Court.
In other words, the picture of the situation over who and who are Candidates of APC in the State with regard to the House of Assembly primary has become clearer with the prevailing Federal High Court Order.
Daily Nigerian Horn reliably gathered that the coalition group headed by Senator Hope Uzodimma had submitted list of their preferred aspirants via APC national secretariat to INEC.
Among those whose names were submitted include: Njoku Chimezie O. (Aboh Mbaise); Amaefule Magnus I. (Ahiazu Mbaise); Anthony Emeka Nduka (Ehime Mbano); Umeh Ikechukwu Sunday (Ideato North); Duru Iheonukara Johnson (Ideato South) and Blessing Ifeyinwa Nwaoba.
Others are: Egbule Dorathy Chinyere (Isu); Okere Stanislaus Ugochukwu (Ngor-Okpala): Uchenna Polycarp Ekwunazu (Njaba); Iwunze Franklin Emmanuel (Nkwerre); Nwaka Nnamdi Osinnanna (Nwangele) and Igbokwe Harrison Onyekachi (Obowo).
Nwosu Gilbert Chiedozie (Oguta); Orie Emmanuel (Ohaji/Egbema); Okey Austin Uduh (Okigwe); Oluoha Henry Onwuchekwa (Oru East); Ebere Macdonald Kelechi (Owerri Municipal)
