The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu State on Friday uphold Arc Dr Edward Nkwegu as the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State.
In Suit No: CA/E/224/2022, the Appeal Court, Friday set aside the judgement of the lower Court, which purportedly declared the Labour Party substitution primaries nullity, as requested by the plaintiff.
The Enugu Court of Appeal in its considered judgement, today, held that the Abakaliki Federal High did not give the Appellants a fair hearing and that the Courts of Law are not invited to adjudicate on the internal affairs of associations, including the political parties.
The Appellate Court maintained that Splendor Eze Oko was only an appointed Caretaker Chairman of the Labour Party, Ebonyi State Chapter, who can be removed in the same way as his appointment.
In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Justice Joseph Eyo Ekanem, the Justice of the Court of Appeal, said "the issue of leadership of a political party and in particular, the dissolution of its caretaker committee is an internal or domestic affair of the party, and so, it is not justiciable."
The Court ruled that the substitution primaries of the Labour Party in Ebonyi, which returned Arc. Dr Edward Nkwegu as the governorship candidate of the party in the State is valid.
In his response, Arc Edward Nkwegu described the judgement of the Appeal Court as divine, most transparent and applaudable.
Dr Nkwegu's Media Aide, Comrade Kelvin Elom started this in a press release in the early hours of Friday, shortly after the judgement at the Court of Appeal in Enugu.
According to him, "the Court of Appeal judgement has shown that the citizens should have confidence in the judiciary.
"My Boss, Arc Dr Edward Nkwegu remains ever grateful for his victory being affirmed by the Court of Appeal as the authentic governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State today.
"I must commend the members and leadership of Labour Party in their efforts, to achieve the victory of the party in 2023 polls, we must win."
It could be recalled that the Abakaliki Federal High Court had on 3rd August 2022, mistakenly granted the reliefs sought by one Mr Splendor Eze Oko in his suit against the substitution primaries of the Labour Party in the state, but Dr Nkwegu later appealed the judgement.
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