Imo North by-election: Owerri High Court restrains INEC from recognising Ararume

The High Court sitting in Owerri has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or its agents from recognising or issuing Certificate of Return to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the winner of the 2020 senatorial by-election for Imo North.

The order issued by Justice E. O. Agada on Thursday, in Owerri, Imo State capital, is in the suit filed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance and six others.

Justice Agada’s order which restrains INEC pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit is the direct opposite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruling on the same day.

The Abuja court ordered INEC to issue Senator Ifeanyi Ararume a certificate of return within 72 hours.

Justice E. O. Agada adjourned the matter till March 22 for hearing.

Abuja High Court Ruling

The Federal High Court, Abuja earlier on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume a certificate of return within 72 hours as the winner of the December 5, 2020 by-election for the Imo North senatorial district having been declared as the valid candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgment, said Ararume remained the winner of the election going by the earlier judgments of the court. According to him, concerning the Appeal Court judgment in Abuja, the 3rd defendant (Chukwuma Ibezim) remained disqualified.

Justice Taiwo, therefore, declared Ararume as the APC valid candidate in the poll.

The judge earlier in a ruling dismissed Ibezim’s application seeking a stay of the judgment, pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the Supreme Court. Justice Taiwo, who described the application as “an attempt to arrest the judgment,” dismissed it for lacking in merit.

Ibezim and Araraume had fielded themselves as APC candidates before the election.

Zainab Sa’id