The Reform and Advancement Political Party (RAP), and a governorship aspirant, Kingdom Okere, yesterday withdrew its suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the emergence of Hope Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State.

The plaintiffs had argued in their suit that the Supreme Court had declared Uzodinma’s candidacy on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in the last 2019 governorship election in the state and that by virtue of a December 20, 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court, Uche Uwosu, a son-in-law of the immediate-past Governor, Rochas Okorocha, was the candidate of the APC in the election and not Uzodinma.

The referenced judgment of the apex court had declared that Nwosu was concurrently sponsored by both the APC and the Action Alliance in violation of the law.

Notwithstanding the December 20, 2019 judgment, the apex court had on January 14, 2020, removed Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party and affirmed Uzodinma as the truly elected governor of the state on the platform of APC.

In their suit filed on June 25, 2020 and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/677/2020, RAP and Okere, sought, among others, a declaration that Uzodinma “did not lawfully participate and was not sponsored by the 4th defendant (APC) to contest the 2019 Imo State Governorship election in accordance with Section 177 (c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

However during Tuesday’s proceedings, defense lawyers M.A. Aguma, Idris Yakubu and Hassan Umar (SAN), representing Uzodinma, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, respectively, pray the court not to only dismiss the suit but to also award cost against the plaintiffs as Aguma asked for N8m cost, while Umar asked for N5m. But the judge, Justice Okon Abang, in dismissing the suit awarded N500, 000 against the plaintiffs and in favour of the