A federal high court in Awka,
Anambra state capital, has ordered the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah, senator-elect of Anambra-south and
M.N Umenweke, the returning officer, over criminal allegations levelled against
them in the February 23 election.
The order came following an
application sought from the court by Chris Uba, senatorial candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the district.
Uba had, among others, asked for
“A further order of mandamus compelling the 1st Respondent to prosecute the
second ( Prof MN Umenweke) for announcing or publishing a false result to the
effect that the 3rd Respondent had won the election held on the said 23/2/2019
even when they both knew that the said election was inconclusive and from which
no genuine result had thereby been generated.”
In the order, I.B Gafai, the
judge, asked the INEC to conduct investigation into the matter within 14 days
for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents.
“Upon the honourable court having
delivered a considered judgement today, it hereby ordered as follows: The 1st
Respondent (INEC) shall within 14 days from today conduct or cause
investigation into the criminal allegations of the Applicant (Chris Uba),” the
judgement read in part.
“Prosecute, if the investigation
result so warrants, the third Respondent ( Ifeanyi Uba) and any other person(s)
implicated in its investigation.
“Where it considers it
inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider at its liberty,
the appointment of the Applicant’s solicitors in this suit for the purpose of
such prosecution.”
Ubah won the senatorial election
under the platform of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) but defected to the ruling
All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.
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