The Labour Party (LP) in Abia State has refused to accept the Court of Appeal’s decision to remove Darlington Nwokocha from his position as senator for Abia Central, arguing that the lawsuit was based on Section 77 of the Constitution, which no court can rule on.
Ceekay Igara, the Chairman of the Abia State Labour Party (LP), voiced these sentiments during a press conference held at the party’s secretariat in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, on Sunday evening following the court’s ruling.
Conveying the party’s dissatisfaction with the court’s decision, Igara expressed that the judiciary is typically considered the ultimate recourse for ordinary citizens. He further elaborated that numerous judgments from the Supreme Court have established restrictions on legal intervention in matters concerning the internal affairs of political parties.
The chairman of the party expressed deep concerns regarding the recent judgment from the appeals court, which is considered one of the key pillars of democratic institutions responsible for delivering impartial justice.
While expressing astonishment at what was seen as judicial impropriety, he clarified that the ruling, which overturned the decision of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal and dismissed the election of Amobi Ogah, the representative for Isikwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, was based on Section 77 of the Constitution.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Nwokocha as the election winner with a total of 92,116 votes, while Augustine Akobundu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 41,477 votes but decided to contest the declaration in court.