Court rejects Apapa faction’s request to stop LP’s guber candidate in Imo

The move by the Lamidi Apapa’s faction to stop the candidate of the Labour Party, Athan Achonu, from contesting this Saturday’s Governorship election in Imo State on the platform of the party has again suffered a setback.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja refused the request on Friday for being premature.

The request brought by the faction through its counsel, Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was outrightly rejected by the Judge who held that he had perused through the affidavit evidence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that of Apapa’s side and found contentious issues that cannot be resolved through the ex-parte motion as sought by Apapa’s side.

Justice Ekwo said from the totality of the claims by Apapa’s faction and the counterclaims of INEC, the dispute is deeply rooted and cannot be resolved through the granting of interim injunction as requested by Apapa’s group.

“From the averments of INEC and the claims of the plaintiffs in this matter, it is crystal clear that contentious issues that cannot be resolved through ex-parte means are involved.

“That being the case, I am of the opinion that the interest of justice would be better served if this matter is determined on its own merit and not through ex-parte application as requested by the plaintiffs.

“More importantly, the issues raised by INEC in its affidavit to show cause on why an injunction should not be granted are not controverted, hence, the means of showing cause is not designed to resolve this kind of sensitive issues.”