The Imo State Election Petitions Appeal Court 2, situated in Lagos, has issued a decisive ruling affirming Emeka Martins Chinedu as the legitimate candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the duly elected representative for the Ahiazu/Mbaise/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency.
The ruling, which was unanimous, came from the Appeal Court Justices, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill. They endorsed the trial court’s findings and dismissed the appeals lodged by Nnanna Igbokwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party candidate, Darlington Amaechi. Their appeals were rejected on the grounds of lacking merit and failing to substantiate the issues raised.
This ruling brings closure to the prolonged dispute regarding the venue of the PDP primaries, which had been considered a pre-election matter falling outside the jurisdiction of the Appeal Court.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party had contested the election of Chinedu Emeka from Imo State, citing issues related to the primary venue.
The recent ruling aligns with the judgment previously rendered by the Tribunal for National and State Assembly Elections for Imo State on September 7, 2023, which also confirmed Emeka Chinedu as the rightful winner of the Ahiazu/Ezinifite/Mbaise Federal Constituency seat. The Tribunal underscored that other political parties lacked the legal standing to interfere in the internal affairs of rival parties. It clarified that venue-related issues pertaining to primaries were categorized as pre-election matters and were thus beyond the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.
The contentions surrounding previous Supreme Court judgments on PDP Primaries were considered irrelevant to the eligibility of the respondents. The Supreme Court had earlier upheld the validity of Emeka’s primary election, and no other judgments could impact his legitimacy. This is especially relevant now that the issues are considered pre-election matters, which are beyond the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.
The matter concerning the PDP Primaries’ venue had been thoroughly examined by the High Court, Appeal Court, and Supreme Court, all of which consistently upheld Emeka Chinedu’s status as the legitimate candidate of the party. The rejection of Nnanna Igbokwe of the APC as an “interloper” attempting to interfere in the PDP’s internal affairs was upheld.
It is noteworthy that Chinedu Emeka’s counterpart, Ikeagwuonu Onyinye Ugochinyere (Ikenga), who represents the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, also held his PDP primary elections at the same venue. Subsequently, the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court affirmed Ugochinyere’s eligibility to contest the election. This rendered any challenges against his candidacy based on the primary venue baseless.
In response to this judgment, the Centre for Judicial Integrity Watch, a pro-judiciary group, expressed commendation for the Appeal Court’s decision, hailing it as a triumph for democracy. They emphasized that both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court consistently affirmed the lack of jurisdiction for the Tribunal.
Abubakar Isah, Convener of the Centre for Judicial Integrity Watch, expressed astonishment at the Appeal Court’s decision, particularly in contrast to its previous rulings that did not uphold the election of other lawmakers. He advised that the Court should avoid creating the impression of selective application of the law, particularly on matters with abundant judicial precedent and constitutional provisions.
