JUST IN: Okorocha’s inlaw, Nwosu withdraws appeal against Ihedioha

The Action Alliance’s governorship candidate in the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, on Tuesday, withdrew the appeal he filed against the election of Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

Nwosu is a son-in-law to the immediate-past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, who was elected to the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the 2019 general election in the state.

On Tuesday, Nwosu’s lawyer, Mr. Solomon Umoh (SAN), told the seven-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, that the decision to withdraw the appeal challenging the outcome of the last governorship election in Imo State was based on the judgment of the apex court delivered on December 20, 2019.

The referenced judgment of the Supreme Court was on a case marked SC. 1384/2019, which had declared that Nwosu was not validly nominated as a candidate of the AA to participate in the March 9, 2019 governorship poll, thus lacked the locus standi to file any case in connection with the election.

Announcing the decision to withdraw the appeal on Tuesday, Umoh said, “Based on the judgment of this court in appeal SC. 1384/2019 delivered on December 20, 2019, and subsequently, on my advice to my client, we have decided to withdraw this appeal.”

Responding, counsel for respondents to the appeal, including Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, urged the court to dismiss the appeal having been withdrawn.

Ruling, the seven-man panel unanimously dismissed the appeal.