Labour Party Conflict: Setback For Apapa Faction As Court Rejects Motion To Bar Athan Achonu From Imo Election

EKO HOT BLOG reports that less than 48 hours to the governorship election in Imo State, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, thwarted legal moves to stop the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Senator Athan Achonu, from participating in the contest.

The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, rejected an ex-parte motion that was brought against Achonu’s candidacy by the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party.

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Instead of granting the app lication the faction filed through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Mohammed Mohammed, SAN, Justice Ekwo ordered the service of the court processes on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to enable it to file its response to the suit.

The court, thereafter, adjourned the case till tomorrow for further mention.

Specifically, the Apapa led faction of the LP had in the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1357/2023, applied for an order of interim injunction, restraining INEC from recognizing or according recognition to any other person laying claim to the gubernatorial ticket of the party in the Imo State governorship election slated for November 12, other than Chief Ukaegbu Joseph who emerged from a primary Poll that the faction held on April 16.

It further prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction, compelling INEC to recognize and upload the name of Ukaegbu Joseph as the authentic gubernatorial candidate and flagbearer of the party in Imo State.

The Applicant equally demanded a mandatory order against INEC to the effect that Apapa’s name be uploaded as the National Chairman of the party, with Alhaji Lawal Saleh as the National Secretary.

Meanwhile, after he had listened to counsel to the faction, Justice Ekwo, declined to grant the orders as prayed, without hearing from INEC which was cited as the sole Defendant in the matter.

“I am not granting you this application today and you have to bring INEC to court to come and explain its own side in this matter,” the Judge held.

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It will be recalled that the Apapa led faction of the LP had been in a protracted leadership tussle with the Julius Abure led group that conducted the primary poll that produced Mr. Peter Obi as candidate of the party in the last presidential election.
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