Kogi Guber: Sunday Umoru Approach Court to Reclaim Stolen Mandate as AAC Candidate

Chief Sunday Umoru of the African Action Congress Party (AAC) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja on the 23rd of September 2019 to ask the court to summon party being the 1st defendant, an impostor, Mohammadu Kabir Abdulwasiu being the 2nd defendant, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) being the 3rd defendant respectively.

Chief Umoru lamented through a press statement made available by his media aide claiming he was robbed of his mandate having genuinely emerged as the candidate of the African Action Congress through primary election which was held on the 24th of August 2019 in Lokoja the Kogi State Capital as required by the Electoral Act of 2010 Section 87, as amended.

The primary election, which was conducted in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital had in attendance the representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission from the state and from the National Headquarters Abuja, while the delegates, who were drawn from the 21 LGAs, and the State Executive Council unanimously reached a general consensus and adopted Chief Sunday Umoru who was thereafter returned as the winner having scored the highest votes.

According to the statement, “it was in deed a big surprise when Chief Umoru’s Campaign Organization and his supporters learnt from reliable source that Chief Sunday Umoru, who had genuinely emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress party in compliance to the Electoral Act 2010 Section 87 as amended was robbed of his mandate having substituted him with an impostor in the person of one Mohammadu Kabir Abdulwasiu who never participated in the August 24th 2019 primary election held in Lokoja, let alone for him to have emerged as the party’s candidate.”

Chief Umoru confirmed that his lead counsel, Paul Kassim, Esq, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja, asking the court to summon African Action Congress being the 1st defendant, the impostor Mohammadu Kabir Abdulwasiu being the 2nd defendant, and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC being the 3rd defendant respectively to determine whether having regard to Section 87(1)(2)(3)(4) and (9) of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended), Schedule 3 paragraph 2(i) and (ii) of the Constitution of African Action Congress 2018, the result of the Kogi State Gubernatorial Primary Election held on 24^th August, 2019 at Divine Plaza, Opposite 500 Unit, Ganaja, Lokoja, the 1^st Defendant can submit to the 3^rd Defendant any name other than the name of the Claimant as its authentic candidate to contest the Kogi State Governorship election slated for 16^th November, 2019 or any other day slated by the 3^rd Respondent, due to any change of date?

The claimant, Chief Sunday Umoru, among other reliefs also seek an order upholding the result of the 1^st Defendant’s Primary Election held on the 24^th of August, 2019 at Divine Plaza, Opposite 500 Unit, Ganaja, Lokoja Kogi State, to nominate its sponsored candidate for the Governorship election and recognizing the Claimant as the winner having won the majority of lawful votes cast at the said 1^st Defendant’s Primary Election.

Also, he is seeking a court order compelling the 1^st and 3^rd Defendants to immediately recognize the Claimant as the duly nominated/sponsored candidate of the 1^st Defendant in the gubernatorial election for Kogi State, slated for 16^thNovember 2019.

He is also praying the court grant an order of injunction restraining the 1^st and 3^rd Defendants from recognizing the 2^nd Defendant as the 1^st Defendant’s nominated/sponsored candidate for the Governorship Election in Kogi State, slated for 16^thNovember 2019.

Chief Umoru has since informed his supporters to remain calm and resolute as his stolen mandate will surely be reclaimed. “This is a battle of no retreat, no surrender,” he said.