By our reporter| The Supreme Court on Friday declared Frank Ibezim, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election, held in December 5, 2020.
A five-member panel of the apex court presided by Justice Amina Augie dismissed two appeals by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal in Owerri and Federal High Court in Owerri.
In the lead judgment read by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the apex court held that “the lower court (Court of Appeal) was right in coming to the conclusion that the first respondent (Ibezim) was shut out and denied of his right to be heard as a necessary party in the suit at the trial court (Federal High Court).
“Therefore, the proceedings of the trial court constitute a nullity and must be struck out. Appellant’s appeal, therefore, lacked merit and it is hereby dismissed.
The apex court directed that the judgments should be applied to the cross-appeal, marked: SC/1060/2020 filed by Dr. Edith Chidinma Uwajimogu, in which she sought to have Ararume declared as the candidate of the APC.
The Imo North Senatorial seat became vacant following the death of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu of the APC in December 2019.
The dispute over candidacy from the primary, left the APC without a candidate in the December 5, 2020, senatorial election.
The party, however, polled 36, 811 votes against 31, 903 votes by the PDP in the election held last year.
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