The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State has sacked Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Imo North Senatorial District by-election slated for December 5.
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam read the judgement unanimously delivered by a three-man jury on Friday, barely 24 hours to the election.
Onyemenam also declared Frank Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the APC and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to substitute Araraume’s name with that of Ibezim.
The election was necessitated by the death of erstwhile Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu.
Araraume had been declared candidate on November 6 by a Federal High Court, which also sacked Ibezim, who was initially declared winner of the APC’s primary election.
The court faulted the November 6 judgement and said the revalidation of Ibezim’s candidacy was in line with the Electoral Act, having been declared winner of the party’s primary election.
“Having satisfied all necessary conditions of the APC and declared winner of the party’s primary election, I hereby declare that Frank Ibezim is the authentic candidate of the APC,” the judge said.
