Few Weeks After Victory, Court Rules On Soludo’s Eligibility To Contest Anambra Election
AN Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, has ruled on a suit challenging the qualification of Prof. Charles Soludo and his Deputy, Onyema Ibezim, to contest the recently concluded November 6, 2021 Governorship election in Anambra State, which they both won.
Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka had instituted a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Governor-Elect, Soludo and the Deputy Governor-Elect, seeking to nullify Soludo’s election.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who dismissed the suit on the grounds that it lacked merit, awarded a N2 million fine against the applicants, to be paid to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents in the suit.
Onyechi Ikpeazu, counsel to Soludo and APGA, argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter. He also argued that an error in an affidavit does not provide grounds to disqualify a candidate from an election, as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
In the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/ CS/711/2021, the plaintiffs sought to nullify Soludo’s election and that of his Deputy, claiming that Soludo provided false information in the affidavit that he submitted to INEC, hence should be deemed unqualified to stand for the election. Describing the suit as a waste of time, Justice Taiwo said the court cannot be used to truncate the country’s democracy.
