Just In: Umahi protests rival withdrawal from senatorial race amidst court disqualification

By Alo David, Abakaliki Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state Friday protested that his contender in the suit that disqualified him as Ebonyi South Senatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Mrs Ann Agom Eze had withdrew from the race earlier before the primary that saw him in as candidate of the party.

This was made known in a official documents shared by the Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Francis Nwaze in his social media page. Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki had earlier today recognized Mrs Ann Agom Eze as the party authentic candidate for APC Ebonyi south zone. Also recall was that governor Umahi had through his Counsel,Roy Nweze Umahi dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, to court requesting that the commission should recognize his client as the party candidate for the constituency after the governor's younger brother (Austin Umahi) declined interest from the race for 2nd primary on 9th June, 2022 for his brother, the governor who reportedly won unopposed.

According to our correspondent who was at the court learnt that Ann Agom Eze had on Tuesday approached the court seeking to nullify David Umahi as candidate of the party on the ground that he did not participate in the primary exercise. This is which is contrary to the demand of Umahi's Counsel who had seek INEC to recommend the state governor as the authentic candidate of the party for the senatorial position which took place at Afikpo North local government area.

Earlier in his judgement, Justice Fatun Riman, cited section 115 of the new electoral law 2022, saying that the governor was not an aspirant and cannot participate in the election or pre-election matters of the All Progressives Congress as regards the Ebonyi south senatorial district, whose primary held on 28th day of May, 2022. As cited on the section of the new electoral law, the governor neither procured forms or participated in the election and cannot claim any right based on the primary election.

Reacting on the development, the Counsel to Mrs Agom Eze, Barr Nwonu Nnaemeka on telephone interview, said his client as a second run-up in the exercise is to claim the ticket of the party for the zone. Barr Nwonu who explained that the new electoral law demands that his client would go through a fresh primary within fourteen days of the first candidate withdrawal knowing that unoppose candidate is no longer in line with the law as she's to be officially supervise by INEC, whence, she is the only constitutionally liable candidate standing for rerun. He further emphasized that the state governor is not competent to participate in the primary as he was still presidential candidate as at the date of the said acllaimed rerun even as his younger brother who had withdrawn would not contest as his forms expired on the day of his withdrawal except he obtained fresh form, whereas, governor Umahi is entitled to appeal tge case. " Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom state, Mike Igini, recently warned politicians against picking multiple forms as such act amounts to criminality and culpable of attracting two years jail term.