Valentine Ozigbo Challenges APC Primary Results in Court
Valentine Ozigbo, a contender in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Anambra, has taken legal action against the party over the election results. Ozigbo, who previously ran as a candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2021 Anambra gubernatorial race, has labeled the APC primary held on April 5 as “fraudulent” and “a carefully orchestrated facade.”
The legal action, which names the APC, Nicholas Ukachukwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents, aims to invalidate Ukachukwu’s nomination and demand that the party recognizes Ozigbo as the rightful candidate.
Court documents, shared with the press on Friday, reveal that the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday at the High Court in Awka. Ozigbo’s legal team, led by Senior Advocates of Nigeria Umeh Kalu and B.C. Igwilo, submitted the suit with supporting evidence from the party’s constitution, internal communications, and delegate registers.
The originating summons seeks the court’s opinion on whether the APC violated its rules by allowing Ukachukwu to run as a candidate. Ozigbo, in a statement posted on his Facebook account, criticized the party for failing to conduct a valid primary and instead organizing a process marred by irregularities and violence.
Ozigbo alleged that the Anambra primary was not a genuine election but a manipulated event based on an invalid delegate list. He stated, “A contrived delegate list filled with names unfamiliar to even the most seasoned party leaders was used for the gubernatorial primary. There was no accreditation, no order; just thugs, violence, and a herd of hired hands masquerading as delegates.”
Nicolas Ukachukwu, a former member of the House of Representatives, emerged as the winner of the party’s primary election on April 5, securing the ticket with a significant lead over Ozigbo and other contenders. While Ozigbo received 67 votes, his opponents Edozie Madu and Johnbosco Onunkwo garnered 8 and 26 votes, respectively.
The Anambra gubernatorial election is set to take place on November 8.
