After vigorously campaigning for her party’s candidate to win the November 16 Anambra State governorship election, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, a federal lawmaker on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has decided to head for court, seeking to be declared the authentic APGA candidate for the election.
Ekwunife, runner-up to Chief Willie Obiano during the APGA governorship primary ballot, on Friday lodged a suit at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State capital, praying the court to declare her the rightful candidate of APGA for the election declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pending the November 30 supplementary ballot in places where the election was cancelled. Obiano is the first defendant in the suit, with INEC as the second and APGA third defendant.
Ekwunife in the suit alleges multiple voter registration in Lagos and Anambra states by Obiano and wants the court to disqualify him on account of it. A court of competent jurisdiction had cleared Obiano of the same charge before the election by Ekwunife was not the litigant in that instance.
Arguing her case, Ekwunife said in the originating summons filed by her counsel, Chief Ugo Ugwunnadi: “By virtue of the multiple registration, which is a serious electoral offence and by the combined effect of Sections 9 (1), (2), (3), 2, 3, 12 (1), (2) and 24 (1)(e) of the 2010 Electoral Act of Nigeria, as amended, and Section 178 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, Mr. Obiano is not a registered voter qualified to vote and be voted for in Anambra State and therefore, he cannot contest an election in a state, where he is not a legally and validly registered voter.”
She also said in her supporting affidavit to the originating summons, the federal lawmaker alleged: “Mr. Obiano was assigned with three different VIN numbers, by virtue of the multiple registration as follows – (1) 90F5 B12B 0129 6204 172, (2) 90F5 B15E 7D37 8200 332, and (3) 90F5 B12B 8837 7091 121 respectively, annexed as Exhibits UE2, UE3 and UE4. All these appeared in three different Voters’ Register.”
•Photo shows Hon. Uche Ekwunife.
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