APC chieftain asks court to nullify primaries in Enugu

AGGRIEVED chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Onwuamaze, has asked the Federal High Court, Enugu, to nullify the entire primaries of the party in the state.

In suit number FHC/EN/CS/122/2018, the plaintiff, a registered member of APC in Affa/ikono/oghu ward of Udi Council, asserted that the primaries held on October 3 and 4, 2018, should be nullified, as the open ballot system of voting adopted violated Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were joined as 1st and 2nd respon- dents in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit instituted by Godwin Onwusi on behalf of the plaintiff.

In a 32-paragraph affidavit in support of his application, Onwuamaeze maintained that subjecting him to open ballot system of voting is a violation of his right and that of other party members to keep private the knowledge of who they voted for in an election, as guaranteed by Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution.

He insisted that the National Assembly, governorship and House of Assembly primary elections of APC conducted in October in the 260 wards of the state using open ballot system, were unconstitutional, null and void, and that the candidates who emerged were not valid.