A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, has nullified the governorship primary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State that produced Prof Gregory Ibe as the party’s flagbearer.
Gregory Ibe had won the primary held on 29 May after polling 283 votes to defeat other contestants, including his closest rival, Etigwe Uwa, who scored 148 votes.
Chikwe Udensi, one of the contestants who polled 13 votes in the primary, filed a suit at the court challenging the outcome of the primary.
Mr Udensi in his suit prayed the court to declare him the winner of the APGA governorship primary or in the alternative, order for the conduct of a fresh primary of the party in the state.
The judge, Binta Nyako, in her judgment on Thursday, held that based on the evidence and testimonies of witnesses, the APGA governorship primary election held on 29 May in the state “was flawed and marred by irregularities”.
Justice Nyako consequently nullified the election and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election within 14 days.
Meanwhile, Professor Ibe in a statement by his media aide, Rev. Sleek Ogwo, said that his lawyers had appealed the judgement, adding that he had also secured a stay of execution.
Ibe said that Udensi and his sponsors would not be able to stop or prevail against the will of God, expressing hope that the Appellate court would uphold his candidacy.
He also said that the inauguration of his Campaign Council scheduled for Friday, as well as campaigns, would continue as scheduled.
“We shall cross this Red Sea. Our programme continues and our campaigns will go on as scheduled. There is no going back. We must salvage our state from the hands of those holding it down. Nobody will stop the New Abia that is about to be born”.
Professor Ibe said that Udensi deceived the court, insisting that the May 29 primary election of APGA was peaceful and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
