Nigeria’s apex Court,the Supreme Court has flung away an application filed by Friday Nwosu who had prayed the court to disqualify Okezie Ikpeazu as democratically elected Governor of Abia State.
ADVERTISEMENT
Nwosu was a governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2014 who took part in the party’s governorship primary.
He had gone to Court to challenge the nomination and emergence of Ikpeazu as Abia State Governor on the grounds that he submitted false tax papers to INEC.
He had urged the court to nullify the election of Ikpeazu and declare him (Nwosu) the governor of Abia.
Justice Amina Adamu-Augie, in the lead judgment, described the appeal as “frivolous and lacking in merit’’.
The Justice awarded fine of N4 million against the appellant (Nwosu) to be paid N1 million each to four respondents to the appeal.
The respondents in the suit are Mr Samson Ogah, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP), Ikpeazu and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lead judgment was read on behalf of Justice Augie by Justice Sidi Bage.
Nwosu had, in his appeal, challenged the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri which declined jurisdiction in the case.
The appellate court panel of five Justices presided over by Justice Jimi Bada had ruled that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal.
Specifically, the court held that Nwosu’s appeal was similar to the suit also filed against Ikpeazu by Uche Ogah which the apex court had decided on May 12, 2017.
Nwosu, who contested the Dec. 8, 2014 PDP governorship primaries had accused Ikpeazu of submitting false information and fake tax documents to INEC.
He had instituted the suit at the Federal High Court, Owerri, presided over by Justice A.L. Lewis.
Justice Lewis had on July 8, 2016, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, he proceeded to the Court of Appeal and finally, the Supreme Court