SaharaReporters learnt that contrary to some media reports, the apex court has not affirmed Athan Achonu as the Labour Party candidate.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Basil Maduka should withdraw his motion against Athan Achonu in a suit filed to challenge the legality of the Labour Party Primary elections conducted by the sacked leadership of Julius Abure ahead of the Imo State Governorship Election slated for 11 November 2023.
SaharaReporters learnt that contrary to some media reports, the apex court has not affirmed Athan Achonu as the Labour Party candidate.
According to the Supreme Court ruling, dated September 11, 2023, obtained by SaharaReporters, in the suit between Achonu as appellant and Labour Party &three others as respondents, the court already dismissed Achonu’s suit.
The ruling delivered by Musa Dattijo Muhammad said the “appeal on which the appellant’s application filed on August 21 is anchored, having been withdrawn, both processes are hereby dismissed.”
Also speaking with SaharaReporters, a source privy to the Thursday’s ruling, said, “The ruling yesterday (Thursday) did not make Achonu candidate, it asked Basil to withdraw his motion against Achonu because he was challenging Achonu’s primaries conducted by Abure and court rose after that.”
“Achonu was never declared a candidate,” the source added.
Also speaking with SaharaReporters, one of the Basil's lawyers said that contrary to some media reports, no court document affirmed Achonu as candidate and he therefore could not speak on the matter.
A contestant in the LP primaries, Basil Maduka, had objected to Achonu’s candidature at both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Not satisfied with the decision of the Court of Appeal, the disputants approached the Supreme Court for a final judgment on the matter.
SaharaReporters had also reported how the factional Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Lamidi Apapa, said only candidates endorsed by him could feature in the November 11 Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo governorship election.
Apapa had said this at a news conference in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja last month.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that a Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, affirmed him as the authentic National Chairman of the party.
The court sacked the Julius Abure-led faction and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise governorship candidates produced by Apapa’s faction for the election.