The political structure of Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Destiny Organization is presently enveloped by overwhelming jubilation following the victory of their principal at the controversial but keenly contested Imo North senatorial election, as the federal High Court, Abuja yesterday finally gave judgment in favour of Araraume and subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a Certificate of Return within 72 hours.
It will be recalled that following the sudden death of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu who represented Imo North senatorial zone in the upper chamber of the national assembly Okigwe zone had been denied the rights and benefits of having a representative in the Senate as a result of intrigues, manipulations, subtle and obvious maneouvres by contending political forces, interests and factors in the state.
The process and journey to the primaries were riddled with litigations, conflicting and contradictory court orders that almost questioned and put the integrity of the judiciary to test.
In the midst of all this, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (Agu Isi ebu) and Frank Ibezim by virtue of conflicting court orders contested the election as candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
However, Frank Ibezim who from all indications was Governor Hope Uzodinma’s preferred candidate had abnitio been disqualified by the court and barred from contesting the election on the grounds of certificate forgery and perjury. But his sponsors and political god fathers who would have none of that, hence, he still went ahead to contest the election.
In addition to the baffling development, INEC, after the controversial election, announced that APC won the election without returning any of the contestants as the actual winner, thereby introducing a new dimension into the country’s Electoral Act as political parties neither contest nor win elections, rather individuals contest and win elections on the platform of political parties.
In the course of the legal contests for the Imo North senatorial seat, Frank Ibezim instituted several cases seeking to actualize his purported mandate but they were all struck out. Finally, on Tuesday March 16, 2021, a state high court sitting in the federal capital, Abuja, presided over by Hon Justice Senchi struck out the matter instituted by Frank Ibezim who had approached the court to compel INEC to issue him Certificate of Return as the authentic candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC. In the judgment, the presiding judge, struck out the case for lack of merit and jurisdiction.
This followed his earlier disqualification by a federal high court sitting in Abuja for certificate forgery and perjury, which was also affirmed by two panels of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.
The judgment given yesterday by an Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Hon Justice Taiwo Taiwo that declared Araraume the authentic winner of the Imo North Senatorial bye-election has laid to rest the struggle for Imo North senatorial seat between the political camp of Governor Hope Uzodinma, and the Minister of state for Education Hon Emeka Nwajiuba on one side and maverick politician, strategist and dogged fighter, Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ararume who from all indications has finally scaled all hurdles and defied all odds to emerge victorious and clinch the converted Imo North Senatorial seat (Okigwe Senatorial Zone) after a herculean contest that has proven his formidable strength and towering height in the political terrain of Okigwe zone, Imo state and Nigeria.
