Supreme Court to deliver judgment on Soludo’s APGA guber candidacy at 12 noon

The Supreme Court will at 12 noon on Thursday pronounce judgment a suit challenging the candidacy of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra.

The apex court’s decision will determine whether the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will be allowed to contest in the November 6 gubernatorial poll.

Justice Mary Peter Odili, who presided over the proceedings of Thursday, announced that the final decision of the court will be made known in one hour’s time.

At the time of this report, palpable tension and apprehension have enveloped the premises of the court with two camps of the two parties anxiously awaiting the court decision.

The Court of Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had in September ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Soludo as the candidate of the APGA.

The three-member panel headed by President of the Appeal Court, Monica Dongban Mensem, had also declared Victor Oye as National Chairman of APGA.

Justice Jummai Sankey, while delivering ruling on the appeal filed against Sylvester Ezeokenwa and five others, held in a unanimous decision that the appeal constituted an abuse of court process, having been bound by the decision of the Kano division of the Court of Appeal that affirmed Chief Oye as APGA National Chairman.

The panel said it lacks jurisdiction to do what the appeal by Chief Edozie Njoku and Chinedu Okoro was seeking as it can not sit on appeal of its previous decision.

The sum of N10 million was therefore awarded against the appellants, in favour of Sylvester Ezeokenwa and All progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who are the first and second respondents in the appeal.