Court removes Eze as Enugu East APC senatorial candidate

The Federal High Court, sitting in Enugu, has voided the
nomination of Prince Lawrence Eze as the Enugu East Senatorial
candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019
general election.

The court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, held that Eze
was not the validly nominated candidate of the party.

In the suit, filed by Mrs. Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha, she had contended
that, having won the party’s primary election, she was the right
candidate of the party but that her name was wrongfully
substituted.

Ogbu-Aguocha said Mrs. Uche Ezemba stepped down after winning
the primary, adding that the lot fell on her as the 2nd runner up
in the election.

She provided evidences before the court that Eze was not even a
member of the party at the time the primary elections were
conducted.

Justice Buba, in his judgement, agreed with the plaintiff and
held that it was a case of “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.”

The court lambasted Eze for laying claim to what never belonged
to him.

Justice Buba said there was overwhelming evidence that Eze was
still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where he also
contested for senatorial primary election.

He, therefore, ordered that Mrs. Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha should be
recognized by the APC and the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, as the rightful candidate for the Saturday
election.

Meanwhile, counsel to the defendant, Barr. Ferdinand Ugochukwu
Ukwueze, told journalists that his client would appeal the
judgment.