Anambra poll: Court fixes Dec. 20 for judgment in Moghalu’s suit against APC, Andy Uba

A Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday fixed Dec. 20 for judgment in a suit filed by an aspirant in the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship, George Moghalu, against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Andy Uba.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after taking the arguments of counsel to the parties in the suit. The judge said the pressure on him was to deliver judgment within the time prescribed by the constitution, and not necessarily before the poll.

He, however, said if the judgment was ready before Nov. 6, he would not hesitate to deliver it.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Moghalu, in July, filed a suit at the court, seeking an order removing Uba and the APC from the list of gubernatorial candidates and political parties partaking in the Anambra governorship election on the grounds that the party failed to conduct a valid primary election.

He also demanded N122.5 million as damages, which include a refund for the fee paid for expression of interest and nomination forms and N100 million “for the breach of contract to commence and conclude primary election”.NAN reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had picked Andy Uba, winner of the APC primary election, as the party’s candidate.In the affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff said the APC failed to conclude the selection and nomination process for its candidate for the November 6 governorship poll.

He said the APC had chosen to adopt direct primary, which is why the party published the list of designated venues for the exercise.Moghalu said the party received N22.5 million for the expression of interest form and nomination form, including from him, “to allow him to participate in the primary election exercise”.He further said he was informed a day before the primaries that the APC electoral committee would address all aspirants and stakeholders in Akwa.

“Shockingly, on June 26, 2021, the said election committee was not seen anywhere in Anambra; no accreditation of voters took place; no voting and collation of votes occurred in all the 326 wards of Anambra state,” he said.He said the committee “announced election results it did not conduct, and which fakery was credited to the third defendant as the winner of the primary election scheduled for emergence as APC’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra state”.

Moghalu also argued that the party did not invite the INEC in line with the law requiring the commission to monitor the exercise.(NAN)