Achonu remains our governorship candidature in Imo, says LP

Senator-Athan-Achonu — Sen. Athan Achonu

The Labour Party (LP) in Imo has said that Sen. Athan Achonu’s candidature for the November 11 governorship election in Imo has not been voided by any Court.

This is contained in a release signed by the Party’s Chairman in Imo, Mr Calistus Ihejiagwa and made available to newsmen in Owerri, on Friday.

Ihejiagwa, while reacting to reports in some sections of the media that Achonu had, on Friday, been sacked by an Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, described the reports as “deceitful and mischievous” and maintained that Achonu remained the party’s candidate.

He said that Mr Basil Maduka, a member of the party, had approached a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, asking the Court to replace Achonu with Chief Joseph Ukaegbu, another member of the party.

Ihejiagwa said that on June 23, the Court, presided over by Justice B.O. Quadri, dismissed the suit for lack of merit and ruled that the Court lacked the jurisdiction to preside over the matter.

The court ruled that Ukaegbu did not participate in the party’s primary election, and as such, “lacked the locus standi to institute the action”.

He also said that the Appeal Court, on Friday, only reemphasized the implication of lack of jurisdiction in a motion for leave to appeal as an interested party, filed by Achonu, stating that it lacked necessary jurisdiction just as the Federal High Court also held.

He urged members of the public to disregard the reports of Achonu’s purported sack by the Court, describing the reports as “dirty politics and misrepresentation of Court”.

“Sen. Athan Achonu is and remains the valid governorship candidate of our great party, LP.

“All peddlers of propaganda against our party, misinterpreters of Court and detractors have failed,” he said.