The Federal High Court in Bayelsa has made a declaration naming Ikechukwu Ukaegbu as the official candidate for the Labour Party (LP) in the forthcoming off-cycle governor’s election in Imo State, scheduled for November 11. Presiding Judge Emma Akko confirmed Ukaegbu, also known as Ikenga, as the rightful candidate on Friday.
Ukaegbu emerged as the winner of the gubernatorial ticket in the primaries organized by Lamidi Apapa’s electoral panel in Imo State on April 16.
Judge Akko also ruled that the primaries conducted by the Julius Abure-led faction of the LP in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi States were illegal and invalid. These primaries took place while Abure was under a court order prohibiting him from claiming himself as the party’s national chairman.
The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly include the names of candidates who were elected through “valid primaries” conducted in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi States.
Nze Akujobi, the LP chairman in Imo State, expressed satisfaction with the court’s judgment. He described it as a true reflection of the party’s intentions and extended congratulations to Ukaegbu on his candidacy. Akujobi also expressed confidence in Ukaegbu’s capabilities and the party’s potential to win the upcoming governor’s election.
