Anambra Guber: Court Dismisses False Information Suit Against Soludo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a suit of false information against Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to the Independent National Electoral Commission during registration.
The plaintiffs, Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka, had in their suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/711/2021, alleged that Soludo lied in the affidavit (Form EC9), which he submitted to INEC.
INEC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Soludo, and the Deputy Governor-elect, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, were cited as defendants in the suit.
The plaintiffs claimed that Soludo and his running mate had filled in different elective positions in their nomination forms.
The parties claimed 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 the forms they submitted to INEC.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Taiwo Taiwo, the judge, held that the suit was “unnecessary”.
“I have carefully perused form EC9 for the third defendant (Soludo) and I can see that the third defendant marked that he was contesting the position of governor.
The court held that plaintiffs failed woefully to convince the court that the second, third and fourth defendants supplied false information to the 1st defendant which they knowingly accepted.
“I am yet to come to terms with the purpose this suit if I must say is meant to serve.
The judge stated that “democracy and its institutions should not be abused”.
“The rule of law must not be abused and the rule of law must not be used as an instrument to choke democracy from breathing freely,” he added.
“The case of the plaintiffs must fail and I pronounce same as failed. The issues for determination are resolved against the plaintiffs and the reliefs being sought are totally rejected. This suit is not necessary and it has wasted the time of this court.”
The court also awarded N2 million against the plaintiffs in favour of the second, third and fourth defendants.
