A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to nullify the election of Senator Hope Uzodimma and his deputy, Prof Placid Njoku, and to declare the governorship seat of Imo State vacant.

Justice Taiwo Blouse on Monday held that the applicant, Mcfyne Chikwedu, had no locus standi, adding that the suit was patently ‘non-justiciable.’

The judge also noted that Uzodimma’s election had been affirmed by the Supreme Court and his court was not an election tribunal that could sit on appeal over elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Justice Taiwo then ordered Chikwedu to pay INEC N250,000 as cost for bringing such a frivolous and meaningless suit to the court for adjudication.

The judgment followed Chikwedu’s suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2020, alleging that the governor did not meet the constitutional requirement to be declared winner of the March 9 gubernatorial election of Imo State.

INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation were the first and second defendants, respectively.

According to the judge, there was no connection between the plaintiff and the defendants jointly or severally.

READ ALSO Enugu SME Center stroma Oji-River to sensitize grassroots on opportunities on SME Development

Taiwo held, “If I may ask, was Chikwedu a contestant in the Imo Governorship Election in 2019? He only described himself in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the affidavit in support of the originating summons thus: ‘(1) That I am the plaintiff in this suit and an indigene of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. (2) That by virtue of my position, I am conversant with the facts of this case.’

“These averments are not enough to cloth the plaintiff with the toga of locus standi. It is a notorious fact that the issue of the Imo State governorship election has been litigated up to the Supreme Court, the apex court in the land, on the 14th of January, 2020, and it was held among other things that Senator Hope Uzodimma is the winner of the Governorship Election of Imo State and that the Certificate of Returns be issued to him.

“This court cannot shut its eyes to these facts. This case has no legs to stand on. It is dead on arrival and nothing can be done to resuscitate it. I need to state that cases of this nature ought not to be permitted to see the light of day if not for the constitutional provision as to fair hearing.”

The judge further stated that parties should desist from bringing such time-wasting suits to the court, knowing fully well that they have no chance to succeed and the time of the court is very precious. Taiwo then dismissed the case in its entirety.