By Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU—COURT of Appeal, Enugu Judicial Division has upheld the election of Victor Umeh of All Progressive  Grand Alliance (APGA) as the Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial district in the national assembly.

Victor Umeh

In a unanimous judgment on Tuesday, the appellate court dismissed the appeal by Mr. Nkem Ekweozor, challenging the judgment of the Anambra Central Senatorial Election Petition Tribunal which upheld the victory of Umeh in the January 13, 2018 senatorial rerun in the district.

I’m ready, prepared for Saturday’s primaries- Ambode

Ekweozor who was the candidate of the Mega Peoples Progressives Party (MPPP) in the senatorial rerun, had claimed that Umeh was not validly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election and that the election was marred by corrupt practices.

Ekweozor alleged that Umeh was not qualified to contest the election, as he got his nomination while still holding the position of national chairman of APGA.

The appellant who joined Umeh, APGA and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as 1st, 2nd  and 3rdrespondents respectively, prayed the court to order INEC to conduct a fresh election and that Umeh should be disqualified from the fresh election.

Delivering judgment, the three-man Appeal Panel headed by Justice Uwani Musa Abba Aji noted that the appellant had made no reference to any particular primary election conducted by the 2nd respondent, APGA, from which Umeh emerged as the candidate.

The judge held that the appellant’s complaints on the issue of nomination of the 1st  respondent, Umeh, “are at large and ex facie.”

According to him, there was no dispute on the primary election of the 2nd  respondent, APGA, which produced Umeh as its candidate.