By Innocent Onyeukwu
The last has not been heard over the upcoming legal fireworks between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Governorship candidate inImoState, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This is coming on the heels of fears that the case has not come up at theAppeal Court, Owerri after several months the senator filed his case against the electoral body where he challenged INEC’s decision to conduct a supplementary election inImoState.
However, Imo Trumpeta gathered that the responses or replies of those concerned with the matter are awaited, despite feelers that Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has joined in the suit. There were no official confirmation from Government circles on this development, but a source in the state headquarters of the ACN stated that Governor Okorocha has joined the case ‘as a necessary party’
According to the State Secretary of Imo ACN, Chris Oguoma, the responses or replies of the Imo Governor to the petition is awaited.
In a short statement made available to Imo Trumpeta, Oguoma stated ‘we (ACN) filed our reply at the Appeal Court on 16th May, 2011 in the case between ACN and its 2011 governorship candidate against INEC on the supplementary election which the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has joined as a necessary party. We are waiting for the Governor’s reply and date for the hearing’
It will be recalled that shortly after the Supreme Court flung away the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which opposed the election of Owelle Rochas Okorocha governor of Imo State based on the May 6 2011, supplementary election, Senator Araraume, who shied away from the political landscape after the elections, stirred the hornets nest again, when he approached the Court of Appeal. His prayer: To Challenge the validity of the Supplementary election in Imo State on May 6th, 2011 that conveyed Rochas Okorocha to Government House, Owerri as Governor of Imo State.
His prayer, according to legal pundits, is to ascertain if the word ‘supplementary is recognized by the Electoral Act (Amended).
Araraume’s prayer is different from the prayer of the PDP which wanted its candidate, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, be declared winner of the April 28, 2011 Governorship election. The PDP’s petition was struck out, first by the State Election Petition Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and lastly, the nation’s apex Court, the Supreme Court.
