One of those asking to be handed the seat of Okigwe Zone Senate, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume will today know his fate as it decides on the matter pending in court concerning INEC handing him over the Certificate of Return as actual winner.
Moments after a federal high court in Abuja asked INEC to issue Araraume Certificate of Occupancy, APGA Imo State went to court to halt the order.
The
1. ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA}
2. COMRADE KELECHI SORIBE (MEMBER, IMO STATE WORKING COMMITTEE APGA)
3. ENGR. SAMUEL UDENSI
4. CAJETAN EKEOCHA
5. IHEJI GEORGE
6. UNAKALAMBA COSMAS
7. NDUKWE OBINNA had gone to court against the
{DEFENDANTS}
1. SENATOR IFEANYI GODWIN ARARUME
2. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC)
3. ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC)
The matter was on Wednesday, 24th March 2021 fixed for ruling on jurisdiction on Tuesday 30th March 2021, being today.
Senator Araraume through his lawyer have challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case. He positioned that the case bothers on the last December 5th 2020 Senatorial bye election of Okigwe Zone and submitted his letter of resignation dated 15th January 2020 through his lead SAN, K.C Nwufo, Emeka Nwagwu, SAN and others.
The council for litigants, Fintan Ilika, Esq objected in his reply that the matter before the court is a pre-election matter and bothers on constitutional interpretation on whether a member and BoT member of a party is qualified to vie for a Political and elective position with another party while not properly resigned from his party.
Ilika also faulted the purported resignation of Sen Araraume on 15th Jan 2020 through one Iheanacho who claimed to be the APGA ward Chairman of Osuachara ward of Isiala Mbano LGA. He proved that the said Iheanacho was a product of the purported congresses which the court sacked on the 5th of November 2019. Three months before Araraume’s purported resignation. He questioned whether the said Ward Chairman is supposed to have acted legally as at when there is a subsisting order of court restraining him to present himself as an elected official of APGA.
He therefore asked the Honourable court to assume jurisdiction and declare that Sen Araraume have not legally and officially resigned from APGA and therefore declare null and void his registration, waiver and nomination issued to him by APC and restrain INEC from issuing him certificate of return or any documents to necessitate his being sworn in as a Senator to represent Okigwe Zone in the National Assembly.
The presiding judge, Justice E.O. Agada fixed ruling for Tuesday 30th March, 2021 for ruling on issue of jurisdiction
