The Abuja division of the Court Appeal on Wednesday uphold the judgment of the Federal High Court which set aside the candidacy of Andy Uba as candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the recent governorship election held in Anambra State.

The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Danlami Zenchi, accordingly dismissed the appeals brought by Uba and the APC against the judgment of the trial court for lacking in merit.

Justice Senchi who read the judgment held that the panel considered all the issues raised by the appellants in the two appeals and resolved all the issues against the appellants.

The court agreed with the submissions of Moghalu’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), and dismissed the appeals for lacking in merit and affirmed the decision of Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court delivered on December20, 2021.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, of the Abuja division of the Federal court had in his judgment, held that Uba was never a candidate in the poll having emerged from an illegal primary election.

Justice Ekwo held that Moghalu succeeded in proving that the APC did not conduct a valid primary election which Uba claimed to have won as the party’s flag bearer in the November 6, 2021 election.

Consequently, he ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to delete Uba’s name from its record as a candidate in the election.

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Justice Ekwo also ordered the APC to refund to the plaintiff N22.5 million he paid for expression of interest and nomination forms since the party failed to conduct a valid primary.

Uba had emerged as the APC’s candidate at the primary election held on June 26, 2021.

But in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/648/2021, Moghalu, an aspirant in the APC primary election, challenged the process and the outcome.

Moghalu contended that the APC did not comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 and the APC’s regulations and guidelines in the conduct of its governorship primary in Anambra State.

Meanwhile, the governorship election has since been won by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Charles Soludo.