Crisis rocking the Labour Party in Imo State on who is the authentic governorship candidate of the party in the November 11 2023 election seams to have deepened over the Abuja Appeal Court judgment which threw away the suite filled by Senator Athan Nneji Achonu challenging Chief Joseph Ukaegbu as candidate of LP. The judgment came on Wednesday.
Achonu in the suit had sought to be joined in the matter as an interested party to enable him upturn the ruling of the Federal High Court in Bayelsa State that declared Ukaegbu as the authentic Labour Party governorship candidate in Imo State.
Notably, the Federal High Court had on 23rd June, 2023, declared Ukaegbu as the real gubernatorial candidate of LP based on the fact that he won the guber primary election supervised in the state by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa led National Working Committee of the party on Sunday, 16th April, 2023.
Also, the Federal High Court had declared illegal and criminal, the governorship primary election earlier held on the 15th April in the state by the Court suspended the National Chairman of LP, Barr. Julius Abure led faction of the party that produced Senator Athan Achonu.
However, on 21st of July, the Appeal Court which sat in Owerri, dashed Achonu’s appeal for lack of merit and competence. Ukaegbu’s legal victory over Achonu would make it the 3rd time he won Achonu in Court leaving palpable fear in his camp.
As at the time of filling in this report, Achonu is yet to open up whether or not he would appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court which is the final arbiter.
Meanwhile, the Chief Joseph Ukaegbu’s camp of the LP has been rejoicing over the Appeal Court victory, hoping that their preferred candidate would cruise to victory at the poll which is almost around the corner, given to the popularity of LP and good antecedents of Ukaegbu.
