NOT CHICKENING OUT: Soludo Sues APGA Over Disqualification from 2013 Anambra Governorship Race

 

THE disqualified governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State rofessor Chukwuma Soludo, on Thursday, dragged the party before an Abuja High Court, seeking a judicial review of his disqualification.

It is recalled that Soludo and five other aspirants were, on August 16, disqualified from contesting the November 16 governorship election of the state by the APGA screening panel.

The panel had based its decision to halt the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) participation in the August 26 APGA primaries on the basis of an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for which he is considered a “potential high risk candidate.”

Dissatisfied, Soludo had approached the court through a motion ex parte filed by his counsel, Ikechukwu
Ezechukwu, praying it to enter an order of certiorari removing and setting aside the decision of the APGA screening panel for violating the party’s constitution and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and to maintain the status quo ante bellum.

He also wants the court to grant an order of interim injunction restraining APGA from preventing him from participating in the primary of August 26, 2013 pending the determination of the motion on notice.

Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Affen, overruled the oral submission of Ezechukwu that the matter could be entertained in the FCT being the headquarters of the party, and ordered him to file further affidavits citing authorities of cases heard outside the jurisdiction of the cause of action.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the citations had been filed before the court.

The court is, however, expected to rule on whether to entertain the matter or not today.

Other reliefs sought by Soludo include an order of certiorari removing the decision of the defendant/respondent’s screening panel/appeal panel dated August 16, 2013 purporting to disqualify the plaintiff/applicant from contesting the Anambra State gubernatorial primary election 2013 to the court for quashing.