A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday nullified and set aside the Ward and Local Government congresses purportedly conducted on February 7 by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi to nominate its candidate for the November governorship election.
The court voided the two congresses because they were not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution of the APC.
Delivering judgment in a suit instituted by a group of aggrieved APC members led by Realwan Okpanachi, Justice James Omotosho barred the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from using the unlawful delegates list that emanated from unlawful congresses for the party to select its governorship flagbearer.
Justice Omotosho, while nullifying the purported Ward and Local Government congresses of February 7, ordered APC leadership to conduct fresh ones that would be in compliance with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Section 13 of the party’s constitution.
In the judgment, Justice Omotosho agreed with the plaintiffs that the APC in Kogi State failed to conduct Ward and Local Government congresses as stipulated by relevant provisions of the law.
Among others, the Judge agreed with Chief Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, and counsel to the plaintiffs, that the APC breached Section 84 of the Electoral Act and Section 13 of its constitution by concocting a purported list of delegates and submitting same to INEC without the knowledge of registered members of the party in the state.
Credit: dailypost.ng
