By Ifeizu Joe
A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State capital on Wednesday ruled against Mr Valentine Ozigbo, an aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had challenged the election of Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu as candidate of the party for the November 8 governorship election in Anambra.
The court presided over by Justice Evelyn Anyadike held that Ozigbo was unable to prove conclusively that Ukachukwu was not a eligible for the primary election which was held on April 5.
Valentine Ozigbo had petitioned the court to nullify Ukachukwu’s candidacy, arguing that the latter was not legitimately qualified to contest the party’s primary election.
But in her judgement on Wednesday, Anyadike held that while there were discrepancies worthy of concern in the documentation presented by Ukachukwu, but said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to substitute one candidate for another.
She said: “The court cannot interfere in the internal matters of a political party where the plaintiff has not provided incontrovertible proof of the date of membership, nor shown that the party acted outside its constitutional powers.”
Ozigbo while reacting to the judgement reiterated his commitment to justice, but stated he would consult with his lawyers on the next steps.
“We are consulting with our lawyers, we will decide on our next step. I did not fight this case for myself, I fought for Ndi Anambra. I fought to protect the soul of our democracy, and that fight is far from over.”
Ozigbo’s legal team had argued that Ukachukwu’s membership registration was altered retroactively to beat the eligibility deadline.
Ozigbo added that: “This was not just about form-filling, it was about principle. It was about saying no to criminality. Unfortunately, the court blinked.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the candidate of APC, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu rejoiced over the judgment, describing it as a worthy judgement.
Ukachukwu had recently concluded a tour to all the 21 local government areas of the state, to thank delegates of the party for voting him as candidate of the party. He is billed to commence full campaigns in August, a source within the campaign structure of the candidate said.
