Members of Association of Good Governance Imo State Chapter have brought a law-suit to disqualify the Imo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Hope Uzodinma from vying for and occupying the position of governor of Imo State.
In suit number HAM/53/2019 filed in the Imo State High Court Ahiazu Mbaise Judicial Division, the group among other things, is alleging that there is a Warrant of Arrest issued by the Grade 1 Area Court Kubwa Abuja for the arrest of the senator for alleged issuance of a dud cheque to some persons by the senator which the police is yet to execute. Further in the suit, the plaintiffs are alleging that the senator embezzled $12.5 million contract sum meant for a Federal Government dredging contract and was indicted by a Presidential Investigative Panel over the contract. Other are that the senator who is sued as the 1st Defendant, attempted to bribe a judge of an Abuja High Court including other series of allegations of code of conduct and financial crimes. The plaintiffs are claiming that if elected governor, the senator would embezzle resources for the development of Imo State and also that the alleged questionable character of the senator would scare away investors from the state.
The group is therefore praying the court to declare that the senator is not a fit-and-proper person to be governor of the state and for an order on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the name of the senator as a governorship candidate. Other prayers are for an order compelling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the allegations of financial crimes against the senator and for the police to arrest the senator and arraign him in the said Abuja Area Court as ordered by the Area Court.
Recently, when the case came up for hearing, the court ordered that the suit be published in the newspapers as a proper mode of service on the defendants. INEC, the Nigeria Police and EFCC are also defendants in the suit.
After the publications, the defendants have limited time to file their defence and then judgment may follow.
