By Ameh Ajekwonyilo
The victory won by Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume in an Abuja court to be declared winner of the Imo-North Senatorial election was on Thursday evening eroded by another court order restraining him and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC from the Senate.
The setback for Ararume came upon the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA’s), Comrade Kelechi Soribe and five others who obtained an ex-parte order to restrain INEC from according Ararume the certificate of return as winner of the Imo-North Senatorial election.
Following an application for the plaintiffs by their lawyer, Fintan Ilika, the presiding judge, Justice E. O. Agada of the Imo State High Court, ordered INEC not to issue a certificate of return to Ararume pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The judge also granted that his order could be served on the defendants by substituted means.
Recall that earlier same day, Thursday, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered INEC to issue a certificate of return to Ararume upon the claim that his rival for the ticket of the APC, Mr. Francis Ibezim, was hindered by issues of forgery.
