By SIMON EBEGBULEM
AHEAD Tuesday’s House of Assembly elections in Edo State, the House of Assembly candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, for Akoko Edo constituency 1, Mr Anslem Agbabi, has appealed against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Benin, which held that the he is not the authentic candidate of the party for the election.

The trial judge at the lower court, Justice Adamu Hobom, had on April 13, 2011, ruled that the ACN in the state, acted in violation of the amended Electoral Act by substituting the name of Mr Kabiri Adjoto, who was said to have won the primaries of the party with that of Agbabi.

However, Agbabi in the appeal through his counsel, Ken Mozia, is praying the Court of Appeal, to stay of execution of the Federal High Court judgment, pending the determination of his appeal.

Agbabi is further praying the appellate court to restrain Adjoto from presenting himself for election into the Akoko Edo constituency 1, state House of Assembly election.

He is also asking the court to restrain the ACN, Edo Etate government and the Independent National Electoral Commissionm, INEC from recognising the candidacy of Adjoto, pending the outcome of the appeal against the judgement of the lower court.