An Abuja division of the federal high court has dismissed a suit challenging the qualification of Professor Charles Soludo and his deputy Onyema Ibezim at the just concluded November 6, governorship election in Anambra State.
Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka had instituted a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect seeking to nullify Soludo’s election.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo who dismissed the suit on the grounds that it lacked merit, awarded a N2 million naira fine against the applicants to be paid to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents in the suit.
What happened in court
Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel for Mr Soludo and APGA argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter. He also argued that an error in an affidavit is not grounds to disqualify a candidate from election as stipulated in the 1999 constitution.
In the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS/711/2021 by the plaintiffs seeking to nullify Professor Soludo’s election and that of his deputy governor-elect, they claimed Mr Soludo had provided false information in the affidavit that he submitted to INEC hence, should be deemed unqualified to stand for the election.
Describing the suit as a waste of judicial time, Justice Taiwo said the court cannot be used to truncate the country’s democracy.
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Nairametrics reported that Mr Soludo was declared the winner of the November 6, governorship election in Anambra state.