Ahead of hearing cum judgment of the Nigeria Apex Court on the 2019 Governorship election of Imo State, a chieftain of the APC in Imo,Hon Uju Okoro has called on APC members and Imo People in general not to desert or abandon the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
This is even as he described the suit as a mere academic exercise and dead on arrival.
Speaking with Lead Express in Owerri,Uju Okoro,a former Local Government Chairman of Isu LGA said”for those waiting to hear supreme court pronouncement on the case of Uche Nwosu double nominations and the removal of Uzodinma,I charge you to face the reality for nothing as such will happen, he said
According to him,I will not be moved an inch over this case, I will not have sleepless nights over this matter for I do know that this is no case in the eyes of the law and there are no issues to be determined by Court.
In the eyes of the law,.No Political party is allowed to conduct (Second Primary) Election either for Guber or any other elective position.
Once Primary election is held, a winner must emerge through the process in which the party Primary Election committee Chairman announces the winner.if any of the contestants who loses in the said Primary exercise deemsit fit to approach the court to seek for redress as his right entails in the Party he is a member so be it.
Remember for any Political Party to Conduct any form of Congress, it must be communicated to INEC within 21 days or so given date and location before carrying out the exercise, was there any time APC wrote to INEC for second Election as regards to IMO Guber Primaries Election. The answer is capital no.
Now what happened that many didn’t know about is that APC Primary Election that produced Hope Uzordinma was duly scheduled and late Gulak led committee commisioned by the then APC National Chairman, senator Adams Oshiomole oroduced Governor Hope Uzordinma as winner other contestants in the person of former Deputy Gov Prince Eze Madumere, Jude Ejiogu, George Eche , Home Base and Gbujie,Uche Nwosu inclusive congratulated Hope Uzordinma on his landslide victory.
However the Political space is big enough to contain even the sympathized.
Uche Nwosu having seen that he has lost out wished to still pursue his ambition which is not bad as a young man with intentions. Don’t forget in a hurry that the former Governor Owele Rochas Okorocha was still in power and powerful at the time.. there was kangaroo primary (nicknamed second Primary) Election which is not known to law and of course the national chairman of the APC declined knowing anything about it and that of course makes it the worst having known that it is not in line with the constitutional provisions of the Party as well as fall out of Electoral Act.That purported kangaroo called second Primary produced Uche Nwose by themselves which APC was not recognized and wouldn’t have recognized because it was illegitimate, unconstitutional and unacceptable in the modern day Nigeria and Politics.
Uche Nwose at this time ran to AA to get their mandate and became their flag bearer..now tell me what made Uche Nwosu to run to AA to beg for their party ticket which if indeed he won the Ticket of the ruling APC man who won the AA Party Primary . For a Political Party to Conduct primaries, it must Notify INEC within 21 days.
Recall that Uche Nwosu was still in court battling with the winner of AA Primary Election which the case didn’t favour him
at the said time.
Uche Nwosu would have had a good case if INEC had published his name as candidates of the two Political parties, the APC and the AA but INEC as the electoral umpire did not.
Though supreme court the Apex court of the land may have ruled on the issue of double nominations but not on the issue that concerns Uche Nwosu who was a candidate of AA. Could Uche Nwosu had gone to AA if he was declared winner and candidate of APC and INEC accept same as Submitted by APC.. If the system is
Brothers and Sisters please can you put me through if there is any where The Independent National Electoral Commission listed Uche Nwose in more than One Political party as its Candidate. INEC only Listed Uche Nwose as AA candidate and Hope Uzordinma As APC Candidate and others according to their Political Party.
By virtue of Sec 35 of the Electoral Act, Double Normination is outright disqualification is you are unable to either remove your name before given time. It is not also bad for leranered counsel to still seek for interpretation where deficiency.
Sometimes an opposition may come up with such news in other to destabilise supporters to lose hope but in the case of Hope Uzordinma the reverse is the case. All and sundry are talking we have Hope we have Hope. I will advise us to stay like people that have Hope instead going from one Political Party to another seeking for hope while we have Hope Uzordinma on ground.
Section 35 of the Electoral Act of Nigeria deals with double nomination, which is when a person is nominated by more than one political party for the same office. The section states that a person who is nominated by more than one party must choose one of the parties within 24 hours of the last day for the withdrawal of nominations. The section also states that if the person does not choose a party within that time period, their nominations will be considered invalid. This section helps to ensure that candidates are not nominated by more than one party and that the electoral process is fair and transparent.
In the case of Atiku Abubakar v. Independent National Electoral Commission, which was decided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2019. In this case, the Supreme Court held that a presidential candidate must be validly nominated by a political party in order to be eligible to contest in a presidential election. Another important case is the case of Dangana v. Usman, which was decided by the Court of Appeal in 2016. This case dealt with the issue of double nomination and its implications for the electoral process.
The question now is did APC nominate Uche Nwosu as its Candidates and submitted same to INEC. Also which Political Party then Norminated and submitted Uche Nwosu’s Name to inec as its candidates.
Thank you Imolites for Having Hope On Hope Uzordinma our Amiable and Performing Governor.
By Uju Okoro Sergius
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