False information: Anambra Governor-elect, Prof. Soludo, N2m richer as court orders plaintiffs to pay fine

Another round of court victory made the day of Anambra Governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim as a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed a suit, challenging their qualifications.

A fine of N2 million was slammed on the plaintiffs to be paid to APGA, Soludo and Ibezim.

Handing down the verdict, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, dismissed the suit which he described as groundless and lacking in merit.

Persecondnews.com recalls that Soludo and Ibezim of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had won the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship poll by a wide margin, dusting APC, PDP candidates.

A Certificate of Returns had been issued to the duo as duly elected having won valid votes.

“This suit is a waste of judicial time… the court cannot be used to truncate the country’s democracy,” Taiwo said.

The plaintiffs — Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka — had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo and Ibezim as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.

The plaintiffs averred that Soludo provided false information in the affidavit (Form EC9) which he submitted to INEC and therefore should be deemed unqualified to stand for the poll.

Soludo and his running mate had wrongly filled different positions in their nomination forms, according to them.

They claimed that the governor-elect stated that he was contesting the Aguata II Constituency seat, while the deputy governor-elect stated that he was contending for the Awka II Constituency seat in their nomination forms submitted to INEC.