By Victor Mmadumere
The camp of the immediate past Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu and the entire All Progressive Congress, APC, family in Okigwe Senatorial District, are in high hopes at the moment following the setting aside of the recent tribunal ruling on Accord Party election petition by the appeal court sitting in Owerri, Imo State.
Although, the petition and the appeal were not filed by the former Speaker but analysis seems to position him as likely benefactor of petition and appeal, as noticed at the court premises should the otherwise happen in the lower tribunal having have his case set aside.
Delivering the ruling, the appeal panel faulted the lower tribunal’s decision of dismissing the petition on the ground of abuse of court process stating that from all the submission and arguments evidences available to the tribunal, the decision to dismiss the petition was in error, therefore null and void.
The panel maintained that there was no evidence of abuse of court process by the petitioner submitting the witness of the National Chairman of the Accord Party to affirm Elder ThankGod Ibe as the substantive chairman of Accord Party watered/dismissed the alleged abuse of court process that would have arisen from the petition filed by one Mr Agu Bryan who claimed to be the Accord Party state chairman and who the tribunal described as an impostor.
The panel ruled that the platform in which the petitioner, Hon Rite Ibemere contested the election is Accord with a symbol and not Accord Party with AP symbol. Therefore there was no abuse of court process of filing double petition on the same subject matter.
