Emeka Nwajiuba, the House of Representatives member representing Ehimembano/Ihiteuboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, has lost his seat following the judgement of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.
Nwajiuba, a former Accord Party candidate who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as a minister designate and would be sworn in on August 21, lost to Chike Okafor of the All Progresssives Congress (APC).
A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Okafor with immediate effect.
Justice Bello Kawau of the High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier declared Nwajiuba as the winner on April 29, 2019, following Okafor’s petition that INEC did not accept or include APC in the rescheduled election that produced the lawmaker, but the Court of Appeal set aside the judgement.
Justices Adamu Jauro, Stephen Adah and Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson unanimously ruled that the case of the appellant is meritorious.
Justice Jauro who delivered the judgement said, ”In the final analysis, I find the lower court has jurisdiction to have revisited its ruling which bordered on the fundamental rights of the appellant. Consequently, the appeal is meritorious and is hereby allowed only on reliefs 1 and 2.”
Nwajiuba defected from Accord Party to the All Progressives Congress following his nomination as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.