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.