A Federal High Court in Awka affirmed Prince Nicolas Ukachukwu as the sole Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) ahead of the November 8 Gubernatorial elections, ending a long-drawn-out legal battle with Valentine Ozigbo, a party rival.
Justice Evelyn Anyadike delivered the Judgment on Wednesday in a suit filed by Valentine Ozigbo challenging Ukachukwu’s emergence, claiming irregularities marred the party primaries.
Judge Anyadike, in her verdict, stated that Ozigbo failed to produce tangible evidence that Ukachukwu was ineligible to run for the primaries, and the court would rather not interfere in the party’s internal issues in the absence of apparent constitutional breaches.
“The court cannot interfere in the internal matters of a political party where the plaintiff has not provided incontrovertible proof of the date of membership, nor shown that the party acted outside its constitutional powers,” the judge said
Reacting to the verdict, Ozigbo expressed disappointment but vowed to continue the legal battle.
“We are consulting with our lawyers and will decide on our next steps. I did not fight this case for myself; I fought to protect the soul of our democracy. That fight is far from over,” Ozigbo said
The Former PDP Man, now APC, maintained that his case was rooted in principle, and Ukachukwu’s eligibility for the party primaries is questionable. He claimed that Ukachukwu’s membership registration had been backdated to beat eligibility deadlines — a claim the court found insufficiently substantiated.
Shedrach Ayo, Counsel to the APC, applauded the verdict by the court, stating that Ozigbo’s claims lack weight and do not meet the threshold set by the constitution and the electoral act.
Members of the Ukachukwu camp celebrated the court judgement. The National Convener of the Anambra Equity Movement (ANEM), Hon. Tony Ezekwelu, called for unity in the party amid celebrations.
“Now is the time to come together as one APC family and focus on winning the governorship election,” he said.
Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, APC’s candidate for the November 8 Anambra governorship election, is a businessman and philanthropist. A former House of Representatives member, he won the APC primary with 1,455 votes, defeating Valentine Ozigbo. Ukachukwu emphasises aligning Anambra with the federal government while promising to enhance security, empower the youths and embark on wide-scale infrastructure development.
