Dissecting the court judgement of Ikom/Boki that gave Sir Victor Abang victory

Sir Victor Abang, APC candidate for Ikom/Boki federal constituency

The Federal High Court of Nigeria in the Abuja Division on Friday 18th December gave judgement in a matter brought before it by Sir Victor Abang, challenging the substitution of his name as the authentic winner of the APC House of Representatives primaries from the provisional list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency.

Members of the National Working Committee of the party, who conducted the primaries election, had earlier declared Sir Victor Abang as the duly elected winner of the contest having scored a total of 19,537 votes to defeat seven others including Cletus Obun who got 1,282 votes.

Surprisingly, the name of Sir Victor Abang was substituted to that of Obun in the provisional list released by INEC.

As a law abiding citizen, Sir Abang approached the court to seek legal re-dress into the matter with a view to get justice and reclaim his mandate. In the suit that was filed, the APC, Cletus Obun and INEC were the defendants.

In the judgement that was delivered by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on 18th December 2018, the court held that the winner of the primaries, Sir Victor Abang, who scored the highest number of votes (19,537 ) during the election, should have his name forwarded to INEC as the authentic candidate for the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency election.

The Court declared that the purported substitution of Sir Abang’s name from the seat of Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency for Cross River State for the 2019 general elections was illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever. Rather, ordered the APC to recognise and publish the name of Abang as the authentic candidate for the Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency seat.

The Court equally issued AN ORDER OF MANDATORY INJUNCTION, compelling INEC to recognise and publish the name of Sir Victor Abang as the APC candidate for the House of Representatives seat for Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency of Cross River State for the 2019 general elections.

The Court also issued AN ORDER OF INJUNCTION, restraining Cletus Obun from parading himself as the candidate for ikom/Boki Federal Constituency of Cross River State for the 2019 general elections.

The judgement was a kudos to the judiciary which serves as the last hope for the common man; as thousands of Abang’s supporters were seen at various spots celebrating the ruling which they described as `Victory’ for their principal.

In fulfilment of the court ruling, INEC had to obey the order by publishing the name of Sir Victor Abang in the final list as the original and authentic candidate for the seat of Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency.

The court gave a MANDATORY ORDER and INEC had complied. It therefore behoves on all supporters of Abang across party line to close their ranks and work for the victory of Mature in the February 16 Federal House of Representative elections for the growth and progress of Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency.