A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young People’s Party, YPP, from the Senate over certificate forgery.
The judge, Bello Kawu, also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue certificate of return for Anambra South Senatorial seat to Obinna Uzoh of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Justice made these rulings in the suit filed by Obinna Uzoh in which he claimed that the Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, presented a forged National Examination Council (NECO) secondary school certificate to INEC and thus contested the Anambra South Senatorial Election.
Dr Uzoh also challenged that YPP having not conducted the primary elections for its party for the Anambra South Senatorial election, should be disqualified.
In his ruling, the judge declared that the 2nd defendant, YPP, did not have the locus standi and should not have participated in the February 2019 general election for Anambra South Senatorial Zone.
He also declared that the 4th defendant, Dr Uzoh, is the actual winner of the February general election having become the second position in the general election, and having the 1st and 2nd defendants disqualified for non-compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (As amended)
Justice Kawu, therefore, ordered the 3rd defendant,INEC, to issue Certificate of Return to the 4th defendant, Dr. Uzoh, within 48 hours, as the duly elected Senator for Anambra South Senatorial District, being the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and having scored the highest number of valid votes cast.
He also ruled that the Senate President and the Clerk to the National Assembly should swear in Dr. Uzoh as the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Anambra South Senatorial District within 48 hours.