Enugu Assembly: Court Orders INEC to recognise Amuka as Labour Party candidate

By G9ija

The Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise Williams Tochukwu Amuka as the validly nominated candidate of the Labour Party for Igbo-Etiti West State Constituency in Enugu State.

The suit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Chibuzor Ezike, challenged the swapping of his name as the winner.

The primaries in question was that for Igbo-Etiti West State Constituency for the election into the Enugu State House of Assembly in the 2023 elections.

In the suit, Amuka prayed the court to declare the action of the Labour Party and the INEC not to recognise him as illegal and unconstitutional and for an order compelling INEC to publish his name immediately among other prayers.

After hearing, Hon. Justice M.G. Umar ordered the 2nd Defendant (INEC) to immediately publish the name of the Plaintiff (Amuka) and accord him with all the privileges and rights as the validly nominated candidate of the 1st Defendant (Labour Party) for Igbo-Etiti West State Constituency having been validly nominated as the candidate of the 1st Defendant.

The court also restrained the 2nd Defendant (INEC) from accepting or recognising any other candidate and/or substituting the name of the Plaintiff with that of the 3rd Defendant or any other name or publishing and/or giving effect to the out-come of any other primary elections other than the primary election authorised by the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, which was held at Central School Aku in Igbo-Etitit Local Government Area on August 9, 2022, which produced the Plaintiff as the candidate of the 1st Defendant in Igbo-Etiti West State Constituency in Enugu State or including in the ballot any other person as the candidate of the 1st Defendant (Labour Party) other than Plaintiff who was the candidate that emerged at the 1st Defendant’s primary election for Igbo-Etiti West State Constituency of Enugu State.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the judgment, Engr. Amuka said it was a victory for democracy and rule of law and an end to impunity and arbitrary use of power by political party office holders.