Anamero Sunday Dekeri, a governorship aspirant in the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State, has filed a suit with the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to be declared the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
Dekeri, a member of the House of Representatives, contested the primary on February 17 and was declared the winner by the local government returning officers on February 18. This followed a controversy where Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, the chairman of the primary election committee, announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while the returning officer for the election, Stanley Ugboaje, declared Senator Monday Okpepholo as the winner.
After a fresh election, Okpepholo was declared the winner and presented with the certificate of return.
But in the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/299/2024, Dekeri is seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC to recognize him as the lawful winner of the primary election.
Lawyers representing Dekeri, Joseph Nwobike, and Henry Akunebo, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), and 10 others argue that the declaration of Okpepholo as the winner of the rescheduled primary election on February 22 was invalid, wrongful, and illegal as it was done in brazen breach of the 1999 Constitution and Section 84(13) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended.
No date has been fixed for the hearing.
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