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The Supreme Court has affirmed Ikechi Emenike as the Abia State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 general election.
A five-member panel of the Justices of the supreme court led by Justice Tijani Abubakar on Thursday affirmed the judgment of the court of appeal delivered in December 2022 and dismissed Ogah’s appeal for lacking in merit.
Justice Abubakar in his ruling declared that ‘There is nothing useful for the appellant to ask in this appeal. The judgement of the Court of Appeal, Abuja is affirmed. The appeal is dismissed’.
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Justice Abubakar stated that the judgment affects other sister appeals relating to the subject matter before the apex court.
Uche Ogah, a former minister of state for Mines and Steel Development, had challenged the judgment of the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal which had recognized Emenike as the duly elected candidate of the APC for the March 11 governorship poll in Abia State.
He had also prayed the apex court to order his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize him as APC’s flag bearer in place of Emenike.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, in a judgment delivered last December by Justice Olabisi Ige had turned similar request.
The appellate refused to grant his request because his alleged victory was from an illegal primary election.
The cases in which the appellate court gave its verdict in favour of Emenike are appeal No. CA/ABJ/1258 High Chief Ikechi Emenike Vs Sampson Uche Ogah & 3 Ors; and CA/ABJ/1257 APC Vs Sampson Uche Ogah & 3 Ors.
The appellate court also faulted Ogah’s emergence as APC’s candidate in another appeal marked No. CA/ABJ/1297 filed by Dan Eke.
According to the appellate court, Ogah lacked the locus to challenge the outcome of the party primary on the grounds that he did not participate in the exercise.
