Gov Primaries: Imo APC members drag Oshiomhole, others to court

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole

The last  may not have been heard about the Imo gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as some aggrieved members have dragged the party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and others to court over the issue.

Registered as suit number HOW/746/2018, the plaintiffs, Macdonald Ogu, Egejuru Tochukwu and Ejike Anosike, equally joined APC  chairman of the primary election committee, Alh. Ahmed Gulak and other members of the committee.

Governorship aspirants: Prince Eze Madumere, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Sir Jude Ejiogu, Commodore Peter Gbujie, Sir George Eche, Hon. Uche Nwosu, Chris Nlemoha, Dr. Hilary Eke, Hon. Dan Nwafor and Chima Anozie, are all respondents in the suit.

In their suit, the plaintiffs sought the following reliefs:

“A declaration that the result of the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Imo State Chapter, dated 2nd October 2018, which declared Senator Hope Uzodinma as the authentic and rightful winner of the Imo State Governorship primaries election 2018, is authentic and same duly signed by the APC Imo Governorship Primaries ad hoc committee chairman (3rd defendant), whose committee conducted the primaries.

“A declaration by the honourable court that the purported television announcement and dissolution of the Ahmed Gulak led committee, which conducted the Imo State APC governorship primaries 2018, by the second defendant (Comrade Adams Oshiomhole) in his capacity as the party’s national chairman on behalf of the National Executive Committee is illegal, undemocratic and same violates the constitution of All Progressives Congress, APC.”

The plaintiffs therefore prayed for “a definite order of the court, directing the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led National Executive Committee and all other relevant authorities of the APC to accept and recognize the Ahmed Gulak result dated 2nd October 2018 and same declared and correct result of the Imo State APC governorship primaries for Imo State 2018.”

They equally prayed the court for: “an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the first and second defendants (APC and its national chairman) from re-constituting another committee and/ or taking any step or further step, including the dissolution of the Ahmed Gulak committee, which will jeopardize the already concluded governorship primaries of the APC in Imo State won by Senator Hope Uzodinma.”

Vanguard recalls that seven governorship aspirants led by Prince Eze Madumere and Hope Uzodinma, including Governor Okorocha’s brother-in-law, Engr. Chuks Ololo boycotted the purported Okorocha arranged primary election.

It would also recalled that the Deputy Governor, Prince Madumere had earlier raised alarm over allotment of votes to all the aspirants who boycotted the purported primary election.

Madumere hinged his position on what he called “serious issues that bordered on litigation and lack of direction from the party leadership.”

He described the purported exercise as “a misnomer and suspicious in any electioneering process”, even as the aspirants in their joint declaration, insisted on authenticity of the Gulak Committee results.