Appeal Court confirms Chinedu as elected Imo PDP Rep

Emeka Chinedu of the PDP won the House of Representatives seat for Ahiazu Mbaise/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency in Imo State, according to the Appeal Court panel in Lagos. The panel dismissed the appeals by the APC and LP candidates, Nnanna Igbokwe and Darlington Amaechi, for being meritless.

The panel also ruled that the PDP primary venue in the state was valid and that it had no jurisdiction to entertain pre-election issues. The panel agreed with the lower tribunal, which had earlier declared Chinedu the rightful winner of the election on September 7, 2023.

The issue of PDP primaries venue had been settled by the High Court, Appeal Court, and Supreme Court in favour of Chinedu and another PDP candidate, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, who represented Ideato North and South Federal Constituency. The courts had affirmed their eligibility to contest the election and rejected the interference of other parties in the internal affairs of the PDP.

However, the first tribunal had given a contradictory judgement, which nullified Ugochinyere’s election based on a petition by a candidate who came third in the election and had lost his case against Ugochinyere at the Federal High Court.

The Centre for Judicial Integrity Watch praised the Appeal Court judgement as a victory for democracy and said that the tribunal had no authority to deal with the issue of PDP primaries venue and sponsorship.