A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, has sacked governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Imo State, Okey Ezeh.
The judge, Justice Tijjani Ringim, also ordered that Ezeh’s name should be replaced with Cashimir Anyanwu.
According to Ringim, evidences before the court showed that at the time the primary of SDP was held, Ezeh could not have been a member of the party.
The court ruled that in line with Section 133(2) of the Evidence Act, the plaintiff (Anyanwu) was the winner of the said primary election conducted October 6, 2018
As part of his orders the judge stated that, “Ezeh’s name be replaced with that of the plaintiff and to submit same to the INEC, in line with Section 87(4b) of the constitution.”
Anyanwu had gone to court to challenge the reason behind the removal of his name by the party as the governorship candidate in Imo state.
He said that, “he got 855 votes out of 1,409 cast to defeat other aspirants.”
However, reacting to the judgement, the Okey Ezeh, through his Director Media and Publicity, Collins Opuruzo, said, “We are aware that a Federal High Court in Owerri sat on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 and made a careless pronouncement about the SDP governorship ticket in Imo State, a ruling, which cannot stand the test of appeal.
“This is yet in furtherance of the futile attempts by some real enemies of Imo State to stop the inevitable victory of Sir Okey Ezeh, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party.
“Meanwhile, there can be no basis whatsoever for any court of competent jurisdiction to give judgement against Sir Okey Ezeh, who was validly nominated as the gubernatorial standard bearer of the party.
“The pronouncement by the court is certainly the peak of judicial absurdity. The right actions to commit same into a legal dung pit, where it sincerely belongs, have already begun.
“We urge our numerous supporters to remain steadfast and unperturbed; being aware that the victory of Sir Okey Ezeh come March 9 has been signed, sealed and delivered.”
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