NIGERIA (Imo) – Members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have launched official suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja requesting that the court should declare the seat of Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha vacant.

The party said the seat should be vacant because Okorocha has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while asking that his deputy, Eze Madumere should replace him.

This was a result of APGA’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on August 3, where it was unanimously agreed that Okorocha’s mandate would be taken from him after his defection, claiming that PAGA’s ideology is different from APC’s.

The party is also asking the court for an order directing the second defendant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to the person declared as governor and an order annulling the certificate of return issued to Okorocha (first defendant) by virtue of his defection to the APC.
The party asked the court for a declaration that by virtue of the provisions of Sections 177(c) and 221 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and Section 97 of the Electoral 2010 and the effect of the Supreme Court decision in Amaechi vs INEC reported in 2008, 5 NWLR part 108, 227, particularly at page 317 to 325, the Imo State governorship mandate given at the April 2011 elections remained with the plaintiff (APGA).

The party also said the mandate should be exercised by the deputy governor, the speaker of the state assembly or any officer next in line to the office of the governor who is a member of APGA by virtue of Section 191(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic f Nigeria 1999 (as amended) following the defection of Okorocha to the APC, which did not have the mandate of the people of Imo State.