Imo North: After 3 months’ legal battle, Lawan swears in Ibezim

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has sworn in Frank Ibezim as the senator representing Imo North senatorial district.

The oath was administered by the Clerk to the Senate, Mr. Ibrahim El-Ladan.

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Ibezim was sworn in after three months of a legal tussle with Ifeanyi Ararume over who is the rightful winner of the seat.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won the by-election held last year, but no one was named winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) owing to conflicting court orders. Ibezim and Ararume, both members of the party, claimed victory.

However, legal battles between Ibezim and Ararume over the rightful owner of the APC ticket were rested by the verdict of the Supreme Court which declared Ibezim the winner.

Ibezim had on March 23 filed an appeal at the Supreme Court seeking to upturn a December 4, 2020 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, and another verdict of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on February 6, both of which nullified his candidature on the grounds that he made false declaration in the documents he submitted to INEC.

Ibezim replaced the late Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu who died in December 2019.