The three-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Thursday, reaffirmed the verdict of the State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which had on August 19, 2019 affirmed the reelection of Hon. Chukwudi Apugo, as winner of the seat of Umuahia East State Constituency.
Justice I.G. Mbaba while reading out the judgement in the appeal filed by Mr. Austin Okezie Meregini, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Apugo of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), struck out the suit for lack of merit, adding that the earlier Tribunal judgement, which upheld Apugo’s reelection stands.
Others Judges, who were present at the Appeal Court included: Justice T.N.Orji Abadua and Justice A.O.Olokulo Sodipe.
Reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Chukwudi Apugo, the member representing Umuahia East constituency in the Abia House of Assembly, expressed satisfaction at the dispensing of justice, adding that the judiciary through the verdict, has reaffirmed that they are indeed no respecter of person.
Apugo, therefore, called on the opposition candidates to put an end to these unnecessary distractions and allow those duly elected to concentrate and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“I thank God for the victory once again. With this judgment, the judiciary has shown that they are the last hope of a common man.
” So, I’m using this opportunity to call on the oppositions to stop these distractions and join hands with us in our untiring efforts to ensure dividends of democracy get to the doorstep of the people of Umuahia east constituency and the state as a whole.”
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