Ihedioha heads to Supreme Court, as Appeal Court strikes out case against Okorocha

…Imo donates 37 vehicles to magistrates
THE Appeal Court sitting in Owerri on Thursday, struck out a case brought to it by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 11, 2015 governorship election in Imo State, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, against the election of his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart and governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha.

The court said the PDP did not properly serve the respondents the court papers.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Jimmy Bada, on behalf of four others, insisted that the issue of service was fundamental in law and struck the case out accordingly.

The case had suffered the same fate a few weeks ago at a lower tribunal, prompting Ihedioha’s lead counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), to proceed to the Appeal court.

But reacting in a statement by his Media Assistant, Chibuike Iheukwu, the former deputy Speaker of the Seventh House of Representatives objected to the ruling, instructing his lead counsel to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.

Ihedioha believed that he scored the highest number of lawful votes, which should have won him the election.

He urged his loyalists and the PDP faithful to be calm, as he was committed to regaining his mandate legally and restoring purposeful leadership in the state.

However, Okorocha, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, commended the Appeal court for upholding the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal in striking out the matter for lacking merit.

“It is the wish of the governor that the issue of who won or lost the 2015 election in the state should be kept behind us, while all Imo people, irrespective of their political affiliation, one way or the other and all aimed at building a state of our collective dream,” he said