BY RALPH EJIMKONYE
The All Progressive Congress, APC may be on the verge of losing Okigwe senate seat if ongoing legal fireworks continue unabated.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim, have been involved in political and legal battles which started right from the scramble for the APC ticket for Imo North Senatorial election.
A battle which began with the quest for APC Okigwe zone Senatorial ticket HAS migrated into the Judiciary.
From the High Court, to the Appeal Court, several judgements for and against each of the antagonists had been prevalent.The Supreme Court last week declared Ibezim as authentic candidate of the APC for the Okigwe Senatorial election, which WAS held on December 5, 2020.
But Ibezim, an ally of Governor Hope Uzodimma and Minister of State, Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has one more hurdle to cross before he either goes to the Red Chambers of the Senate or his senatorial ambition ends up in smoke
Before the apex court is a suit filed by Senator Araraume seeking affirmation of the judgements of Federal High Court, Abuja and Court of Appeal, Owerri, which disqualified Ibezim as candidate of the APC, for presenting fake certificates to INEC and to the APC.
If in the event the Supreme Court upholds the ruling of the lower courts on certificate forgery against Ibezim, then he stands disqualified from the contest, which invariably may cost the APC Okigwe senatorial seat.
Mr.Ernest Anuforo, an analyst said the APC stands the risk of losing Okigwe senate seat if the Supreme Court upholds the judgement of the lower courts on Ibezim’s credentials.
“INEC had declared the APC winner of Imo North Senatorial election. The Supreme Court followed suit and ruled that Ibezim is the rightful candidate of the APC in the election. But the apex court never gave a declaratory order to INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Ibezim.
“And if for whatever reason, the Supreme Court upholds the ruling of the lower courts on Ibezim’s alleged fake certificates, it may overrule the previous judgment of the apex court since issue of forgery is a criminal matter.
“Ibezim risks disqualification. And since he is the legal candidate of the APC in the election, then the runner up in the election, which is the PDP candidate, stands the opportunity of being declared winner of the election. However, we do not pre empt the court. We allow the learned Justices to decide” Anuforo told INNONEWS.
If this development unfolds, then the APC stands the risk of losing another senatorial seat to the opposition.
This will put Governor Hope Uzodimma in political quagmire since he is not on the same page with two senators representing the State in the senate- Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi (PDP, Imo East) and Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC, Imo West)
Uzodimma and Okorocha though of the APC are political foes.
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