12th March, 2020
Will Ifeanyi Ubah retain his senate seat or not? The Court of Appeal in Abuja has put the Anambra senator in suspense after reserving judgment in the appeal filed by him against the judgment of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Bello Kawu on January 17 nullified Ubah’s election on the ground that he used a forged National Examination Council (NECO), certificate to contest the senatorial election in Anambra South on February 23, 2019.
Justice Stephen Adah, who led three-man panel of justices of the Appeal court, announced after hearing the parties that they will be informed when judgment is ready.
Lawyer to Ubah, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), while adopting the appellant’s brief, urged the court to allow the appeal.
Ikpeazu also urged the court to set aside the judgment of the High Court of the FCT on the grounds that the suit on which the judgment was based was incompetent.
He was of the view that the stamp and seal of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) affixed to the originating summons was forged, and that the payment for the originating summons was made on September 25th 2019, months after the judgment was delivered.
Ubah’s party, the Young People’s Party (YDP) asked the court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the High Court of the FCT.
Respondents to the appeal, including Anani Chuka and Dr Obinna Uzoh prayed the court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.–The Nation