A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State has sacked the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Emeka Ibe.
Justice Bature Gafai nullified on Thursday the election of Mr Ibe as the APC state chairman.
A member of APC in the state and chairmanship aspirant, Uzochukwu Onyekwere had gone to court to contest the May 19 state congress that brought in Ibe, over unlawful exclusion.
Defendants in the suit were Okey Ezea, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, chairman of the APC congress committee in Anambra, Ibe, the acclaimed winner and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Onyekwere prayed the court that he was a bona-fide member of APC and was entitled to aspire for the office of the party’s chairman in the state.
He sought declaration that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 223 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 20 of the APC constitution 2017 as amended.
He said the intendment of those provisions was that all elections would be done through democratic voting and that the exercise fell short of it.
Ibe however sought a declaration that he would not be punished after seeking justice through the court and that the congress be set aside.
In his over two hours ruling, Mr Gafai dismissed the counter affidavits of defendants which contended that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter as it was an internal party affair.
Gafai said the plaintiff being a bona-fide member of the party and having paid the mandatory nomination fee had the right to fair contest.
He nullified the election and ordered a re-run which INEC should supervise.
