Nigeria’s Supreme Court has affirmed Professor Charles Soludo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.
The apex court also affirmed Victor Oye as the National Chairman of the party.
The Supreme Court was expected to determine which of the factional executives of the party was legal and validly conducted the party’s governorship primaries in Anambra State and whether or not Soludo or a member of the House of Representatives, Chukwuma Michael Umeoji, is APGA’s candidate for the governorship poll.
The apex court, after hearing from the counsel of some leaders of APGA who have been involved in legal battle – from the High Court and the Court of Appeal, on Tuesday gave the parties a notice that it would announce its position on Friday.
Based on the primaries conducted by Victor Oye and Chief Edozie Njoku faction of APGA, Soludo was, on June 23, elected the party’s candidate with 740 votes out of 812 delegates.
But Umeoji, who is representing Aguata Federal Constituency, was on July 1 elected by Chief Jude Okeke faction of APGA with 904 votes out of 1,138 delegates.
The Okeke-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had suspended Soludo.
Following a court judgment, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on July 16, 2021, recognised Umeoji as APGA candidate for the governorship poll.
But an Anambra High Court in Awka, on July 19, ordered INEC to restore Soludo as APGA candidate.
According to records, APGA has been in a crisis since the tenure of its national officers ended in 2019.
The leaders of the party had been in and out of the High Court and the Court of Appeal before landing at the Supreme Court.