In preparation for the gubernatorial election in Imo State scheduled for November 11, the Supreme Court has confirmed Senator Athan Achonu as the legitimate candidate of the Labor Party. If elected in the upcoming poll, Achonu, who lost one of his arms in 1970, may become Nigeria’s first physically challenged governor.
The background to this case involves Basil Maduka, one of the governorship aspirants, who contested Achonu’s candidacy after the party’s primary election. He pursued legal challenges at both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
However, in the recent Supreme Court ruling on this matter, the case was dismissed on the grounds that it lacked legal standing. A panel of five justices, presided over by Justice Iyang Okoro, reprimanded the appellant for misusing the judicial process and causing unnecessary delays in the lower courts.
The other two respondents in the case were Joseph Ukaegbu, also known as Ikenga, the candidate from the Lamidi Apapa-led faction, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
After the judgment, the Labor Party’s legal representative, Barrister Okwudili Anozie, stated that the controversy surrounding Achonu’s candidacy has been conclusively resolved. He highlighted that the Supreme Court’s decision exposed the misleading claims and falsehoods propagated by Basil Maduka and Joseph Ukaegbu, thus ending their attempts to legitimize Ukaegbu’s non-existent primary elections.