An Abuja Court of Appeal has confirmed, Governor David Umahi as the Senatorial candidate of Ebonyi South.
Princess Ann Agom-Eze’s suit against the governor’s emergence as the district’s senatorial candidate, was on Friday, rejected by the court.
Recall, following Umahi’s failure to clinch the APC presidential ticket, on Thursday, June 9, 2022, the party was said to have rescheduled a senatorial primary election for Ebonyi South, in which Umahi emerge as the winner.
The first election conducted was won by Umahi’s brother, Chief Austin Umahi, however, the runner-up of the election, Agom-Eze, frowned at the governor’s emergence as the senatorial candidate of the district.
Ago-Eze then took the issue before a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, and on Friday, July 22, 2022, the court disqualified Governor Umahi and averred that Agom-Eze, who was the second runner-up in the May 28, 2022 primaries, and should be allowed to contest the 2023 senatorial election.
Another election was later conducted on July 30, 2022. but Umahi was again declared the winner of the senatorial seat.
Agom-Eze then again challenged Governor Umahi’s emergence as the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone candidate at a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki.
The court in August, recognised Agom-Eze as the senatorial candidate for the Zone.
However, the Court of Appeal in its judgement today, set aside the High Court’s decision and all its orders.
The Appellate Court also held that the High Court was wrong when it upheld Ann’s Counter-affidavit and failed to uphold the primary election of 9th June, 2022, whereat Governor Umahi was nominated as the APC Senatorial candidate, as the nomination was never challenged by anybody within 14 days as prescribed by section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution.
The court in Abuja proceeded to grant all the reliefs sought by Governor Umahi and the APC in the trial court.