THE Abia State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has rejected the court of appeals’ decision to remove Darlington Nwokocha as senator for Abia Central, claiming that the case was based on Section 77 of the Constitution, which no court can rule on.
Ceekay Igara, chairman of the Abia State LP, made the remarks after the court decision yesterday evening at the party’s office in Umuahia, the state capital.
Expressing the party’s disappointment with the court’s decision, Igara stated that the judiciary is expected to always be the last hope of the common man, maintaining that there is a plethora of Supreme Court rulings that prohibit adjudication on issues of political party internal affairs.
The party chairman further said the Labour Party in Abia State is deeply worried about the recent judgment that emanated from the appeal court, one of the most critical embodiments of democratic institutions saddled with the responsibility of dispensing justice without fear or favor.
While expressing shock at the judiciary’s “rascality,” he explained that the judgment that overturned the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal’s decision to dismiss the election of the member representing Isikwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State Amobi Ogah in Umuahia was based on Section 77 of the Constitution.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Nwokocha the election winner with 92,116 votes with Augustine Akobundu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming in second with 41,477 votes, but the declaration was contested in court.
