The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will tomorrow hear the suit brought by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume challenging the candidacy of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha as the Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer in the February 28 governorship election.
The plaintiff listed PDP, Ihedioha and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first to third defendants in the suit. The court fixed Thursday for hearing, following protracted arguments that ensued by counsel to both parties on Tuesday over preliminary procedures regarding the multiplicity of pending applications before it. Continue...
The trial judge, Justice A.R Mohammed, had fixed the hearing of all pending applications pertaining to the suit and the substantive suit for Thursday. In the substantive suit, Araraume through his counsel, Damien Dodo (SAN) is asking the court to restrain the PDP from forwarding the name of Ihedioha as its governorship candidate for the governorship election for Imo State.
Rather, the court is further urged to declare the plaintiff as the candidate of the PDP for the governorship election. In his originating summons, Araraume who claimed to have scored the highest number of votes cast at the special congress of the party held at Grasshoppers International Stadium, Owerri Imo State, asked the court: “Whether from the total number of valid votes cast at the Special State Congress of the PDP held at the Grasshoppers Stadium, Owerri, Imo State on December 8, 2014 for the nomination of its governorship candidate for the 2015 Imo State governorship election as announced by its Electoral Committee, the plaintiff scored the highest number of valid votes cast and is entitled to be declared winner and have his name forwarded to the 3rddefendant [INEC] as governorship candidate of the first [PDP] defendant for Imo State, accusahaving regard to the provisions of section 87 [4] [b] [ii] of the Electoral Act 2010 [as amended] and paragraph 19[n] of the Electoral guidelines, 2014, of the Peoples Democratic Party. He, however, wants the court to make an order declaring him as the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant for the 2015 Imo State governorship election.
He also wants an order of court restraining the 1st defendant from forwarding or submitting the name of the 2nd defendant as its governorship candidate for the governorship election for Imo State. The plaintiff also wants an order of court restraining the 2nd defendant from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant for the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
Furthermore, the plaintiff is praying for an order of court restraining the 3rd defendant [INEC] from recognising, accepting, treating the 2nd defendant and/or publishing the name of the 2nd defendant as the governorship candidate of the 1st defendant for the 2015 governorship election for Imo State.
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