Supreme Court fines Senate spokesman N1 million over Enugu election
Supreme Court fines former Senate spokesperson N1 million over Enugu election
Ayogu Eze
The Supreme Court has dismissed a request seeking to nullify the election of Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi.
The application was brought by a former senator, Ayogu Eze.
Mr Eze, also a member Peoples Democratic Party, had asked the court to nullify the emergence of Mr Ugwanyi as the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 governorship election.
According to Mr Eze, the governor was forced on the people of the state by a group within the party during the December, 2014 primaries ahead of the election.
Mr Eze alleged that some members of the party went against the provisions of the Electoral Act to ensure the emergence of Governor Ugwanyi and asked the court to nullify the candidacy of the state governor.
But in a reaction to the motion, Mr Ugwanyi asked the court to set aside Mr Eze’s application for lacking in merit.
The governor asked the court to affirm the appeal court judgement which nullified Mr Eze’s request.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Kayode Ariwola on Friday dismissed Mr Eze’s application and ordered him to pay a fine of N1 million as damages to Mr Ugwanyi for bringing the said application.
The court ruled that Mr Eze lacked the locus standi to bring the request since he did not partake in the primaries.
The court also frowned at the decision of Mr Eze to institute the action in the first instance, because similar applications had been dismissed by the Supreme Court for lacking in merit.
The court said it was wrong for a litigant to institute an action whose components had been decided upon in previous sittings.
The application was brought by a former senator, Ayogu Eze.
Mr Eze, also a member Peoples Democratic Party, had asked the court to nullify the emergence of Mr Ugwanyi as the governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 governorship election.
According to Mr Eze, the governor was forced on the people of the state by a group within the party during the December, 2014 primaries ahead of the election.
Mr Eze alleged that some members of the party went against the provisions of the Electoral Act to ensure the emergence of Governor Ugwanyi and asked the court to nullify the candidacy of the state governor.
But in a reaction to the motion, Mr Ugwanyi asked the court to set aside Mr Eze’s application for lacking in merit.
The governor asked the court to affirm the appeal court judgement which nullified Mr Eze’s request.
A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Kayode Ariwola on Friday dismissed Mr Eze’s application and ordered him to pay a fine of N1 million as damages to Mr Ugwanyi for bringing the said application.
The court ruled that Mr Eze lacked the locus standi to bring the request since he did not partake in the primaries.
The court also frowned at the decision of Mr Eze to institute the action in the first instance, because similar applications had been dismissed by the Supreme Court for lacking in merit.
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