A Federal High Court has recognised Princess Ann Agom-Eze in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, as the All Progressives Congress’ senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South.
This comes after Austin Umahi, the state governor’s younger brother, withdrew from the race after winning the party’s primary to make way for the governor, who lost at the APC presidential primary.
The resident electoral commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, said it is illegal for politicians to get multiple forms, and those found guilty would face a two-year prison sentence.
In order to get INEC to recognize him as the authentic senatorial candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Dave Umahi, through his counsel Roy Nweze Umahi, who also doubles as his older brother, dragged INEC to the Federal High Court in Abakaliki.
However, Princess Agom-Eze, who came second in the first primary, appeared before the court on Tuesday and pleaded with it not to accept Governor Umahi as the APC candidate.
She further refuted taking an affidavit of withdrawal through her lawyer.
In court, Umahi’s counsel argued that INEC should recognize the governor as the winner of the Ebonyi South Senatorial Primary, which was held in the state’s Afikpo North Local Government Area.
The governor’s younger brother, Austin Umahi, withdrew from the June 9, 2022, second primary election, which the governor reportedly won without opposition.
Delivering his judgement on Friday, Justice Fatun Riman, cited Section 115 of the Electoral Act, 2022, saying 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, whose primary held on May 28, 2022.
