Anthony Iwuoma
The bid by former central bank governor, Prof Charles Soludo to take over from Governor Willie Obiano after the November 6 gubernatorial election in Anambra State has got a boost.
This is coming on the heels of the refusal of a Federal High Court sitting in Awka, the Anambra State capital, and presided over by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, to stop his candidature of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the poll.
The factional leader of APGA, Chief Edozie Njoku, had sought an order of mandamus from the court to be recognised as the National Chairman of APGA in order to empower his faction to conduct the governorship primary election that would produce the party’s candidate in the poll but the court dismissed the application.
Njoku had through his lawyer, Sopulu Ezeonwuka, approached the court vide Suit No. FHC/AWK/CS/35/2021, praying the court to, inter alia, recognise him (Chief Edozie Njoku) as the National Chairman of APGA and to compel him to conduct primary election on behalf of APGA.
However, the court held that the reliefs sought by the applicant was substantially the same as the reliefs sought in the substantive suit, adding that granting such application would prejudice the hearing of the substantive suit before the court.
The factional APGA group had on Tuesday held a primary election of the party at Finotel Hotel, Awka, where Chief Edozie Njoku emerged as the governorship candidate of the party .
This is regardless of the fact that mainstream APGA led by Chief Victor Oye had on July 26 held a primary election at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, where Soludo picked the ticket as the party’s flag bearer in the election.
