Soludo heads to court to challenge disqualification from Anambra guber poll

An Abuja High Court will today (Friday) hear a motion in which a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Prof. Charles Soludo, asked it to set aside his disqualification from the Anambra State gubernatorial election by the party's screening committee.

Soludo and five other gubernatorial aspirants were disqualified from vying for the November 16, 2013 election on the APGA platform.

However, Soludo in an ex parte motion filed on Thursday, asked the Abuja High Court to set aside the party's decision.

In the motion filed by his counsel, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN, the former CBN governor argued that the screening panel's decision violated the party's constitution, as well as the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

He prayed the court to order the party to maintain the status quo.

Soludo also wants the court to grant an order of interim injunction restraining APGA from preventing him from participating in the party's primary election, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The APGA gubernatorial primary election is scheduled to hold on August 26, 2013.

According to the ex parte motion, Soludo is asking for 'an order of certiorari, removing the decision of the screening panel/appeal panel, dated 16th of August, 2013,' purporting to disqualify him from contesting the Anambra State gubernatorial primary election.

Also, he wants the court to make an 'order quashing and setting aside the decision' of the screening panel 'as being contrary to and ultra vires the constitution of APGA, the electoral guidelines for the Anambra State Governorship Primary Election 2013 made/approved by the National Executive Committee of APGA and being in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.'

It would be recalled that the APGA screening panel had on Friday disqualified Soludo and five other aspirants.

The other disqualified aspirants are Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnaechetta, Chinedu Francis Idigo, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, and Oseloka Obaze.

A statement signed by the chairman of the APGA gubernatorial screening panel, Alhaji Tayo Sowunmi, at the end of the panel's sitting, explained that Soludo and the others failed the party's test.

Seven aspirants passed the test.