A Federal High Court sitting in Katsina, Katsina State,presided over by Justice E. M. Shittu Abubakar, has dismissed the application by Hon. Emeka Atuma to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to recognize him as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) for Abia Central district in the 2023 election.
The APC and 16 of its candidates had in an interlocutory application, approached an Abia state High court, claiming that they would suffer incalculable damage should INEC shut down its platform against them as it had already done following the expiration of the date for the submission of names of candidates as provided in the electoral Act.
However, the Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, who won the Abia central senatorial APC primaries, opposed the appearance of Hon. Atuma on the list of applicants in the suit at the Federal High Court, Katsina as he (Atuma) is a defendant in another suit pending before Federal High Court ,Umuahia.
The Federal High Court ,Katsina, dismissed Onuigbo’s application to be joined in the suit and also struck out Atuma’s name from the list of litigants to be recognized by INEC.
Atuma had earlier approached an Abia State High Court, sitting at Isuochi, Umunneochi LGA seeking an order to compel INEC to list his name as the senatorial candidate for Abia central ,but INEC insisted that a state High court lacks jurisdiction on the matter.
INEC’S action made Atuma to initiate the second legal tussle in a Katsina Federal High Court.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Atuma never contested in the senatorial primaries for Abia central zone but only emerged runner up in the party’s governorship primary election won by Chief Ikechi Emenike.
Onuigbo had defeated Chief Henry Ikoh to emerge winner of the primary while Senator Nkechi Nwaogu withdrew from the race.
