The Supreme Court will today begin hearing on who is entitled to represent Ohaji/Egbema State Constituency is the Imo State House of Assembly.
Two persons, the Speaker Emeritus of the State Legislature, Rt
Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah and his successor and incumbent in the House, Chief Luke Chukwu are in court over the matter.
Opiah had gone to a Federal High Court, Owerri, to demand that he be issued with INEC certificate of Return after he was given declaration result after the April 26, 2011 House of Assembly/Governorship election. The Speaker Emeritus in his request to court noted that the subsequent election held on May 6, 2011, tagged supplementary election, was illegal and therefore should not have stopped INEC from handing over to him the certificate of return after the first election.
Since Opiah sued INEC on the matter, Chukwu who contested under APGA and was declared winner asked to be joined which the court allowed.
The Federal High Court while ruling on the matter declined jurisdiction adding that it would have been a Tribunal matter. The Appeal Court agreed with the verdict of the lower court forcing Opiah to proceed to the apex court. Levy Uzoukwu is Opiah’s counsel in the matter scheduled for hearing today in Abuja.
