Supreme Court voids participation of APC candidate, Andy Uba in 2021 Anambra guber poll

The Supreme Court has nullified the participation of Andy Uba as a candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship held in Anambra State.

In a Judgement, a five-member panel of the court held that the APC breach its guidelines for the conduct of primaries and thus, failed to conduct a valid primary from which Uba emerged as the party’s candidate in the Anambra governorship election.

The Supreme Court also affirmed the February 23, judgement of the court of Appeal, which was upheld on December 20, 2021, by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The apex court proceeded to dismiss the appeals filed by Andy Uba and the APC.

In the December 20, 2021 judgment, Justice Ekwo held among others that Uba was never a candidate in the election held on November 6, 2021, having emerged from an illegally conducted primary election held by the APC.

Justice Ekwo equally ordered the APC to refund to the plaintiff N22.5 million which he paid for expression of interest and nomination forms since the party failed to conduct a valid primary. Andy Uba had emerged as the candidate as the APC’s candidate at the primary election held on June 26, 2021.

But in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/648/2021, Moghalu, an aspirant in the APC primary election, challenged the process and the outcome of the primary election.

Moghalu contended that the APC did not comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and the APC’s regulations and guidelines in the conduct of its governorship primary in Anambra State.

The November 6 election was won by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo.