The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Tuesday fixed November 8 to commence hearing on a suit seeking to remove Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State from office.
A chief of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Enugu State, Chief Chukwuemeka Obiechina, is challenging the refusal of an Abuja Federal High Court to annul the nomination process that led to Chime’s emergence on April 26, 2011.
Obiechina is asking the appellate court to determine whether there was a valid special congress or primary election held in Enugu State on January 12, 2011, in which Chime was nominated as the PDP candidate.
The appellant is contending that the laid down condition precedent for nominating a candidate for the governorship position, as enshrined in sections 85(1) and 87(1)(4)(b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) was not fulfilled in Chime’s case.
Rather, he is insisting that Chime was handpicked through a kangaroo process.
In the appeal, filed by his lawyer, Mr. Oba Maduabuchi, Obiechina is urging the appellate court to nullify the primary election and order Chime to forthwith vacate the office.
According to him, January 9, 2011 was the validly set date for the governorship primaries in Enugu State.
A three-man panel of judges of the appellate court, led by Justice M.D Dongban-Mensem, has ordered that the Notice of Appeal No. CA/A/358/2012, record of proceedings, appellants brief of argument and other legal processes in the matter, should be served on Chime through the Enugu State Liaison Office in Abuja.
Punch
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