The Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 28 general election, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, on Friday defected to the All Progressives Congress to contest the rerun senatorial poll for Anambra Central District.
Ekwunife who was declared the winner of the March 28 senatorial election in the district by the Independent National Electoral Commission was also affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal.
But following further petition by her opponent in the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh, Ekwunife’s election was nullified by the Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, on December 7, 2015.
The Court ordered for a fresh election in the district within 90 days.
The Court of Appeal Justices, A.D Yahaya, T.O Awotoye and B.G. Sanga, in their unanimous judgement of December 7, 2015 said, “So, whether it was the National body of PDP in Anambra State, the five man National Assembly electoral committee, or the care-taker committee that conducted the primary which produced the 11th respondent (Ekwunife) as the nominated candidate of the PDP to contest the election, it is immaterial.
“Since by paragraph 25 (1) of exhibit R1, it is the state special congress that should conduct the primary for the purpose of nominating a candidate to contest election into the National Assembly. The 11th respondent (Ekwunife) was therefore not the product of a valid primary and was therefore not duly and legitimately nominated. That has disqualified her from contesting the election into the Anambra Central Senatorial district.”
But speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Friday, Ekwunife said,” It’s better now for me to join the APC. Let the heat be there. I’m already on campaigns for my return to the senate, to complete my contract with the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District.” (Punch)
