2023 Election: Ikenga thumbs up judiciary as Court quashes case against him

The spokesman of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and candidate for the Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the 2923 election, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has hailed the judiciary for quashing the case against him.

Ikenga said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) case against him, is an evidence that the party is scared of impending landslide defeat in Ideato.

Ugochinyere hailed the Nigerian judiciary as truly the last hope of the common man and the bastion of the Nigerian democracy, saying for the eight straight time he had obtained judicial victory in the race for the Federal House.

He also described the judgment as yet another resounding victory for democracy, noting that with this hurdle out of the way, he was sure of a tsunami of votes.

It was noted that in less than 30 minutes, when the news of the judgment hit town, there was carnival like jubilation in the Federal Constituency with cars blaring their horns, market women singing songs and youths running around the villages singing songs of victory saying Ikenga is their warrior who will win their wars for them.

The PDP Chairman of Ideato South and North, Chief Durukweaku and Chief ThankGod Okeke, while reacting to the Judgment, called in Ideato people to vote for PDP and Ikenga.

They said that the judgment have reaffirmed the peoples confidence that Ikenga, if elected as the representative for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency will represent Ideato people and attract home sustainable infrastructure and other dividends of democracy.

Describing him as a man with capacity to deliver effectively, they said “in Ikenga, Ideato People, Igbo race and Nigeria will have a strong voice and courageous defender of democracy, justice and good governance.”

The ruling party had approached the Court to disqualify only Ugochinyere on the basis that his primary election was conducted in Owerri the state capital and not within the Federal constituency.

The suit, it was noted singled out Ugochinyere despite the fact that all forty PDP legislative election primaries in Imo state were held at the same time and same venue because of overwhelming security challenges in Imo state and Orlu zone in particular.

Stakeholders in the state are of the opinion that the fear of the impending landslide victory of Ikenga Ugochinyere must have informed the Suit as the APC did not take all the PDP candidates to court except the opposition spokesperson.

Justice M. A. Onyetenu in his judgment declared that the Suit was baseless and vexatious and only amounted to meddlesomeness by the Plaintiff since APC as a political party does not have any business challenging the primaries of another political party.

The judge further described the primary election that produced Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere as proper and in line with the Electoral Act.