The Supreme Court has affirmed the candidacy of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) at the coming November 6 gubernatorial elections.
And in damning comments, it described Justice Ubale of the Jigawa High Court, who tripped up the candidacy of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, as engaging in judicial misconduct
Justice Mary Peter Odili, leading four others, also affirmed Chief Victor Oye as the National Chairman of APGA, while accusing Jude Okeke who took the Anambra matter to court in Jigawa of Forum shopping.
The Court of Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had in September ordered Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to recognize Prof. Charles Soludo as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
The three member Justices’ panel headed by President of the Appeal Court, Monica Dongban Mensem had also declared Victor Oye as National Chairman of APGA.
Justice Jummai Sankey while delivering ruling on the appeal filed against Sylvester Ezeokenwa and five others,held in a unanimous decision that the appeal constituted an abuse of court process, having been bound by the decision of the Kano division of Court of Appeal that affirmed Chief Oye as APGA national chairman.
The panel said it lacks jurisdiction to do what the appeal by Chief Edozie Njoku and Chinedu Okoro was seeking as it can not sit on appeal of its previous decision.
The sum of ten million naira was therefore awarded against the appellants, in favour of Sylvester Ezeokenwa and APGA who are the first and second respondents in the appeal.