Anambra South Senatorial Seat: Ifeanyi Ubah Faults FCT High Court Judgment

A file photo of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and candidate of Young Progressives Party(YPP) has filed an appeal against Friday’s judgement by the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Bwari removing him as member of the Senate.

Justice Bello Rawu had in this ruling sacked Ubah and ordered that Obinna Uzoh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should replace him.

Speaking with Journalists in Abuja, Ubah who described the judgement as a “mere distraction”, said he has gone further to file an injunction for Stay of Execution of the judgement pending the determination of my appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

“I have appealed against the judge’s refusal to set aside the judgement.

“I have also filed an injunction for Stay of Execution.

“I have absolute confidence that the court of Appeal will do Justice and set aside the judgement,” he said.

Ubah who currently represents Anambra South, however, picked holes in the judgement on many grounds.

First was that the FCT High Court lacked the “territorial jurisdiction” to entertain a matter that arose from Anambra South Senatorial Election Primaries.

He said the mischief of filing the case in Abuja and not in Anambra was to ensure that the defendant and even Chris Uba of the PDP were not aware of the proceedings.

“In fact, Chris Uba filed an application asking the court to be joined as he was the authentic candidate of the PDP as confirmed by INEC”, he said.

The lawmaker said the FCT High Court also lacked the jurisdiction as the matter in question was a post-election matter already settled at the electoral tribunal and the Court of Appeal against the authentic candidate of the PDP, Chris Uba.

He expressed shock that contrary to Section 285(13)) of the 1999 Constitution, the court granted the wish of Obinna Uzoh who was not even a candidate in the February 23 election and did not go through the entire stages of the election as the winner of the election.

He said even more shocking was that he was not at any time served in any of the court processes thereby infringing on his right to a fair hearing.

On the criminal allegation that his National Examination Council (NECO) Certificate was forged; Ubah said the court did not summon any staff of NECO, or any other appropriate authority confirming his NECO certificate as fake, hence ” there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the allegation of falsification of NECO certificate.

He said these kangaroo tactics adopted spells doom for the electoral process and justice system if allowed to stand.

Ubah, however, called on his supporters not to be agitated but remain calm as he was confident that he’ll surely have his day at the Court of Appeal.