A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has upheld its ruling that sacked candidate of the Young People’s Party, Ifeanyi Ubah, senator representing Anambra South, over allegations of certificate forgery.
Ubah’s victory was challenged at the court over allegations of forged National Examination Council (NECO) certificate presented to the electoral body.
Ubah had filed a stay of execution against the court’s nullification of his victory at the February 23, general elections.
He claimed that he and his legal team were not served with the court proceedings and notice of hearing of the suit that challenged his victory at the polls.
On December 4, the court ordered all parties involved in the suit including the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain status quo in respect of Ubah’s claim pending the hearing of his application.
The Court also stopped the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan from swearing-in Ifeanyi Ubah as a member of the National Assembly.
However, in a fresh ruling by the court on Friday, the presiding judge on the case, Justice Bello Kawu dismissed Ubah’s application on grounds that it lacked merit.
The Judge ordered that the certificate of return given to Ubah be withdrawn while a fresh one should be issued to the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Obinna Uzoh who was second to Ubah in the polls as declared by INEC.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94