The Court of Appeal sitting in Awka on Thursday affirmed Victor Umeh as the Labour Party’s candidate for the Anambra Central Senatorial District in the 2023 elections.
The court in its judgement ruled that the suit filed against Umeh at the Federal High Court in Awka was statute barred and lacked locus.
The two appeals by the Labour Party and Umeh were allowed to stand by Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, who read the judgment via zoom.
Umeh was dragged to a Federal High Court by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mrs Uche Ekwunife, on the grounds that he did not resign from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, before clinching the ticket of the LP.
The court presided over by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa in a judgment on January 27 granted the prayer and disqualified Umeh.
But the LP and Umeh, through their counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN, and Patrick Ikwetoh, respectively appealed the judgment for lack of locus by the respondents and prayed the court to set it aside.
The judge, therefore, set aside the earlier judgment by the lower court presided over by Justice Nganjiwa disqualifying Umeh as the Labour Party senatorial candidate in the election.
The judgment was given via Zoom.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Ekwunife, Chief Beluolisa Nwofor, SAN, said he will appeal the judgment.
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