Imo North: Court Of Appeal Affirms Ibezim’s Disqualification As APC’s Candidate

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has upheld the disqualification of Frank Ibezim as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the December 2020 bye-election in Imo North Senatorial District of Imo State, Southeast Nigeria.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had disqualified Ibezim after finding out that he submitted doubtful academic credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The judgement delivered by Justice Ekwo on December 4, 2020, was in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1229/2020 filed by Asomugha Tony Elebeke, with Ibezim, APC and INEC as defendants.

Justice Ekwo found that the WAEC certificate Ibezim submitted to his party, which the APC in turn handed to INEC, contained different and irreconcilable names – Ibezim Chukwuma Frank and Ibezim Francis Chukwuma.

The judge held that Ibezim failed to prove that the various names in his credentials are one and the same.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ibezim approached the Court of Appeal, asking it to set aside the lower court’s judgement.

In a unanimous judgment on Saturday, a three-man panel of the appellate court upheld Justice Ekwo’s judgement.

Justice Stephen Adah, who read the judgement, said the finding of the lower court was unassailable to warrant any interference by the Court of Appeal.

He proceeded to dismiss the appeal by Ibezim, affirmed the judgement of the Federal High Court, and declined to award cost.

Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed two appeals filed by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and declared Ibezim the authentic candidate of the APC.

With today’s affirmation of Ibezim’s disqualification, it’s not yet clear who will be declared winner of the Imo Senate seat.

The dispute over candidacy from the primary election left the APC without a candidate in the December 5, 2020, senatorial election.

But the party went ahead to poll 36, 811 votes against 31, 903 votes by the PDP in the six local governments of Obowo, Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano, and Ihitte Uboma.

The Imo North Senatorial seat became vacant following the death of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu of the APC in December 2019.