COURT REVERSES ORDER DECLARING OKONKWO SENATOR
A Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside the judgement declaring Obiora Okonkwo winner of the March 28, 2015 Anambra Central Senatorial District election. Justice John Tsoho on Friday set aside the order of December 13, 2017 on the grounds that the facts were presented in such a manner as to mislead the court on the two earlier decisions of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on the matter.
Justice Tsoho said despite Okonkwo’s claim that he was not a party to the two appeals, his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was party to the suits, which are binding on him, adding that decisions of the appellate courts take precedent over the high court.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had on Wednesday January 10 asked the court to review its order following the earlier decisions of three Courts of Appeal in Enugu and Abuja on December 7, 2015 and November 20, 2017 which ordered a re-run of the election within 90 days.
Okonkwo, had in December, 2014 filed the suit as a pre-election matter following his substitution with Uche Ekwunife as the PDP candidate at the primary of December 7, 2014.
