urges court to reverse disqualification by APGA

[Mirror]

A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has asked an Abuja High Court to reverse his disqualification by the party's screening panel.

It will be recalled that Soludo was disqualified from contesting APGA's primary for the November 16, gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

The panel had predicated its decision on the basis of an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

In a motion ex parte brought by his counsel, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN, Soludo is praying the court for an order of "certiorari," removing and setting aside the decision of the party's screening panel, which he claimed, was in violation of the party's constitution as well as the 1999 constitution, as amended.

The former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP's candidate, also seeks an order of interim injunction restraining APGA from preventing him from participating in the August 26, scheduled primary of the party, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

This is even as the vacation judge hearing the matter, Justice Peter Affen, ordered plaintiff 's counsel to, file further affidavits, furnishing the court with relevant authorities on hearing of the matter in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Soludo is praying the court for the following reliefs: "An order of certiorari removing the decision of the Defendant/ Respondent's Screening Panel/Appeal Panel dated 16th of August, 2013 purporting to disqualify the Plaintiff/Applicant from contesting the Anambra State Gubernatorial Primary Election 2013 to this honourable Court for quashing.

"An order quashing and setting aside the decision of the Defendant/ Respondent purporting to disqualify the Plaintiff/ Applicant from contesting the Anambra State Gubernatorial Primary Election 2013 as being contrary to and ultra vires the constitution of APGA, the Electoral Guidelines for the Anambra State Governorship Primary Election 2013 made/approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of APGA and being in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

"An order of injunction restraining the Defendant/ Respondent's, by itself, its servants, privies, agents or otherwise howsoever, from preventing, refusing and or denying the Plaintiff/ Applicant from participating in the Anambra State Gubernatorial Primary Election 2013."

National Mirror

[Folami David]

Disqualification is something we all have to be used to right now so it should not cause any sort of controversy @ all. Great news I must say.