By Moses Okorie
After the news that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja disqualified candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Imo North Senatorial by-election, Frank Ibezim, due to discrepancies in his name, another news has emerged that the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri has overturned the lower court’s judgement, declaring Ibezim the authentic candidate of the party.
This was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen by one of the counsels to the appellant, Dr. C.C. Nwadikpo on Friday, December 4, 2020.
According to the statement: “History has been made today at Court of Appeal Owerri as Sir Frank Ibezim wins his Appeal which has effectively restored him as APC authentic candidate for tomorrow’s Okigwe North Senatorial by-election.
“In an unanimous judgement the three Justices of the Court of Appeal upheld Sir Frank Ibezim’s Appeal, while setting aside the Judgment of the Federal High Court earlier delivered on the 6th November, 2020.
“By this Court of Appeal judgment, INEC has been mandated to restore the name of Sir Frank Ibezim as the only and authenticatic APC candidate for the December 5, 2020 Senatorial By-election”.
Frank Ibezim and Ifeanyi Ararume have been on a long battle on who flies the APC ticked in the poll.