Prof Charles Soludo
Court dismisses ‘frivolous’ suit seeking Soludo’s disqualification, awards N2m cost against plaintiffs
Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown out a suit seeking to disqualify governor-elect and deputy governor-elect of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo and Onyeka Ibezim, respectively, over allegations of discrepancies in their Forms EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the recently-concluded governorship elections conducted in the state.
Both Soludo and his running mate, Ibezim, as candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APFGA) were declared winners by INEC in the election which spanned November 6, 7 and 9, this year.
INEC had declared Prof. Soludo as winner of the November 6, 7 and 9 governorship poll, and by implication, the governor-elect of the state, having polled the highest total number of votes in the election.
The court sitting in Abuja had differed ruling on the suit filed seeking to disqualify now governor-elect of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, along with his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim from the recently-concluded governorship election in the state.
The suit filed before the Abuja court by Messrs Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka claimed that Soludo provided false information in the affidavit (Form EC9) which he submitted to INEC before the poll, and therefore sought the APGA candidate to be disqualified.
Judgment in a suit was earlier fixed for Tuesday, November 30, has now been moved from Tuesday,
A notice to that effect was sighted in the courtroom which showed that Justice Taiwo Oladipupo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, will not sit today (Tuesday) as earlier scheduled, hence, the 24 hours adjustment of the court verdict.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/711/2021 the plaintiffs claimed that Soludo indicated, in his Form EC9, Aguata 2, Anambra Constituency as the position he was contesting when, in fact, he was contesting the Anambra governorship seat.
Defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo and Ibezim.
However, in the ruling, Wednesday, Justice Taiwo held that the suit was frivolous as the plaintiffs failed to show how they were misled by the information supplied by Soludo and Ibezim.
Justice Taiwo noted that Soludo and Ibezim clearly ticked the positions of governor and deputy governor in the forms they submitted to INEC and only indicated their constituencies, which did not amount to supplying false information as envisaged under the Electoral Act.
The judge said it was known to all, including the plaintiffs, that only governorship election was held in Anambra on November 6 this years.
He resolved all the issues raised for determination against the plaintiffs and declined all the reliefs sought by them.
The judge awarded N2million cost against the plaintiffs, Messrs Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka, and in favour of APGA, Soludo and Ibezim.
Defendants in the suit were INEC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo and Ibezim.
