The special panel of the Court of Appeal headed by Hon. Justice Uche Onyemenam delivered its judgment today in the various appeals challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, Owerri, that substituted the name of Frank Ibezim with that of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the APC candidate for the Imo North Senatorial District Bye – Election.
The Court of Appeal held that the decision of the Federal High Court was made without jurisdiction, in that the issue of Political Party primaries and the choice of a Political Party over its candidate in an election is the internal affair of the Political Party and therefore non – justiciable.
The Court condemned in very strong terms the consequential Orders made against Frank Ibezim, who was not a Party in the Suit in which the Federal High Court made the said Orders and neither was he joined before the Orders were made.
Observers say with this judgment, it is now very clear that the candidate of the APC for the Imo North Senatorial District Bye – Election slated for Saturday, December 5, 2020, is Mr. Frank Ibezim. The Court did not make any Order as to cost is all the Appeals and asked parties to bear their respective costs.
At the time of writing this report, Senator Ararume’s legal team were yet undecided as to their next line of action.
