A Federal High Court sitting in Awka on Thursday, March 28, 2019, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to investigate the senator-elect for Anambra South senatorial district, Ifeanyi Ubah, and the returning officer, Prof M.N Umenweke over criminal allegations leveled against them in the February 23, 2019 National Assembly election in the district.
The action followed an application for an order of mandamus sought from the court by the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the district, Chris Ubah. Ubah had in suit number FHC/AWK/CS/29/2019, urged the court to compel INEC, which is the 1st respondent in the suit, to undertake the prosecution of the returning officer and the Senator–elect, Ubah, who was declared winner on the platform of Young Progressives Party, YPP.
The presiding judge, Justice I.B Gafai, who handed the order, directed INEC to conduct investigation into the matter for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents within 14 days.
The order read: “Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgment on Thursday, March 28, 2019, it hereby ordered as follows: The 1st Respondent (INEC) shall within 14 days from Thursday, March 28, 2019, conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the applicant (Chris Uba) “Prosecute, if the investigation result so warrants, the 3rd respondent (Ifeanyi Uba) and any other person(s) implicated in its investigation.
“Where it considers it inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider at its liberty, the appointment of the applicant’s solicitors in this suit for the purpose of such prosecution.”
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