Ochei Asks Court To Nullify Delta APC Governorship Primary, Says The Exercise Was A Fraud

Former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, and All Progressive Congress, (APC), governorship aspirant, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, on Thursday, asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to nullify the governorship primary election of the APC, insisting that the primary was conducted with delegates other than the ones approved in the Consent Judgment delivered by Justice Anwuri Chikere of the High Court.

The lawsuit which was marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/ 2018, has the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the declared winner of the governorship primary election, Chief Great Ogboru as Defendants.

Ochei, through his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Rahi, SAN, is praying the court to declare that the APC gubernatorial primary election that held on September 30, was illegal and unlawful on the ground that delegates not known to law were used for the exercise.

He averred that the High Court had in a judgment that was delivered by Justice Anwuri Chikere on June 19, authenticated a list of delegates of APC in Delta state.

The Plaintiff alleged that the national leadership of the party, during the governorship primary sidelined the said list for the conduct of the primary election.

The former Speaker told the court that contrary to the judgment, the APC leadership, used unknown delegates for the primary poll.

Consequently, he urged the court to nullify the purported primary election for being unlawful, unjust and deliberately carried out in disregard of subsisting judicial directive.

The Plaintiff equally prayed the court for an order compelling the APC to immediately conduct a fresh primary election with the list of delegates endorsed in the consent judgment of the Federal High Court.

As well as to issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC or its agents from accepting, recognizing or utilizing the name of Chief Ogboru who purportedly emerged as winner of the Delta State 2019 governorship primary election.

In his 40-paragraphed supporting affidavit, the Plaintiff told the court that he was denied fair participation in the primary election despite that he paid N22.5million for Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.

Ochei insisted that the court’s order was brazenly violated by the national leadership of the Party in the conduct of the primary poll election, saying unless the court intervened, the governorship election in Delta State would produce a product of fraud.

Both APC and Chief Ogboru, through their lawyer, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, said they have filed preliminary objections to challenge the competence of the suit.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba therefore adjourned the case till November 13 for adoption of all processes filed in respect of the case.