Professor Greg Ibe was on Friday, declared as the authentic governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the upcoming governorship election in Abia State by a Federal Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri.
Greg Ibe Affirmed As Abia APGA Gov Candidate
By the judgement delivered by Hon. Justice H A Bola, it has now put to rest the Abuja Court of Appeal judgment termed “controversial”.
On Wednesday, the court of appeal in Abuja declared that Abia APGA has no candidate for the governorship election.
Recall that the party held a governorship primary on 29 May in Abia State, where the Founder and Chancellor of Gregory University, Uturu, Greg Ibe, emerged as the candidate of the party for the 2023 general elections in the state.
Ibe polled 283 votes to defeat two other contestants — Etigwe Uwa and Chikwe Udensi — who scored 148 and 36 votes respectively.
Aggrieved, Mr Udensi, one of the aspirants, filed a suit in a Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the outcome of the primary.
He prayed the court to declare him the winner of the party’s primary or alternatively order the conduct of a fresh primary.
In her judgment, on 1 December, the judge, Binta Nyako, nullified the primary that produced Mr Ibe.
Nyako held that from evidence and testimonies of witnesses, the 29 May governorship primary of the party was “flawed and marred by irregularities.”
The judge, consequently, ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary in the state within 14 days from the date of the judgement.
The party, however, failed to conduct the primary within the period.
APGA had faulted the court judgment nullifying the party’s governorship primary in the state with its National Chairman, Victor Oye, saying the party would appeal the ruling.
In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Nollywood actress cum Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deputy governorship candidate in Lagos State, Funke Akindele on Friday, spoke after the death of her mother.
Recall that Funke Akindele’s sister, Olubunmi Akindele, had on Tuesday, announced the demise of their mother.