.As Clinton Amadi of LP Emerges Winner
.Former Speaker Ibeh Escapes, Floors Labour Party Candidate
By Onyekachi Eze
It is an era of joy and sadness in the camps of some of the contestants for the March 18, 2023 Imo State House of Assembly election as the cases before the Lagos State Appeal Court are receiving due attention.
The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State, yesterday, has disappointed the already inaugurated Lawmaker for Owerri Municipal who contested under the All Progressive Congress, Hon Obodo Ugochukwu.
In its verdict, the Court removed Obodo as the winner, and declared the Labour Party contender and former Member of the Imo State Parliament, Hon Clinton Amadi as the authentic winner.
Obodo’s disqualification by the Appeal Court has not only created a quietness in his APC camp, but has also reduced the number of APC in the 10th House of Assembly to 23 as against the 24 it was as at Monday the member for Aboh Mbaise State Constituency, Hon Eddy Obinna was also disqualified and his PDP counterpart, Princewill Amuchie enthroned.
In Obowo Assembly seat tussle, the tough fight between the 2 time lawmaker who is back for a third missionary Journey in the Assembly, Rt Hon Kennedy Ibeh has been rested and settled for good.
While Lady Nkechi Anyanwu Mbachu of the Labour Party had won at the Tribunal believing she would have her way at the Appeal, unfortunately, her hopes were dashed to the wind.
The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State also in the verdict declared that the former Speaker in the 9th House, and of the APC family, Kennedy Ibeh won the poll. Mbachu’s matter was dismissed for lack of merit.
Also on the Appeal knock, the Majority Leader of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Kanayo Onyemaechi has been affirmed as the duly elected member of the State legislature.
Having been challenged at the Election Petition Tribunal in Nasarawa State by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Kanayo Onyemaechi came out triumphant in the legal tussle.
As if that was not enough, the PDP contestant progressed to the higher court which is the Appeal.
In determining the case before it, the Appeal Court judges trashed the suit of the PDPs for lack of merit and held that APC won by landslide.
The judgement has therefore brought to rest the election litigations in the aforementioned State Constituencies of Imo State, remaining the few yet to be decided by the Appeal.
