Imo election: Ihedioha dragged to court

The Action Alliance (AA) says the party and its governorship candidate in Imo State, Mr Uche Nwosu, will go to the Court of Appeal to reject the judgment delivered on Saturday by Imo Election Petitions Tribunal.
The party in a statement signed by its Acting National Secretary, Mr Eli Moses in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the tribunal’s verdict was “judgment and not justice.”

The tribunal led by Justice Malami Dogondaji had on Sept. 21, dismissed three petitions challenging the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Gov. Emeka Ihedioha of Imo at the election held on March 9.
Moses said that the tribunal did not take cognisance of the provisions of the constitution on two-third of the local government areas in winning governorship election, NAN reports.
“The attention of the National Think Tank Committee of our great party, Action Alliance, has been drawn to the ruling of the Imo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal delivered at Abuja on Sept. 21.

“We wish to state as follows: That the party having interfaced with our team of lawyers, reject the outcome of the ruling by the tribunal as it only qualifies as a judgment and not justice.
“That the party and our governorship candidate Chief Uche Nwosu insist that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is and remains the ground rule for adjudication.
“And, therefore, the PDP and its candidate at the election did not meet the constitutional requirement of two-thirds majority in the 27 local government areas of the state as required by law,” he said.

According to the party’s scribe, the judgment of the tribunal is in total violation of the provisions of the constitution and therefore, shall be challenged by the party at the Court of Appeal with a view to seeking justice.
“The party is and remains in total support of its governorship candidate Chief Uche Nwosu as he seeks justice at the Court of Appeal,” he said.
It would be recalled that the three petitions were filed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance and its candidate, Ifeanyi Ararume, Action Alliance Party, and its candidate Mr Uche Nwosu as well as the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Hope Uzodinma.
The three-man tribunal led by Justice Malami Dogondaji unanimously held that the petitions lacked merit.
The tribunal also held that the petitioners failed to prove that Ihedioha was unlawfully declared as the governor of the state by INEC.