A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Senator Ifeanyi Ararume winner of the 5 December 2020 Imo North Senatorial bye-election and has ordered the National electoral body INEC to within 72 hours to issue him the form EC8A and the Certificate of Return.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo in a judgment Thursday said Chukwuma Ibezim, could no longer lay claims to the candidacy of the APC having been disqualified by a High Court judgment, a decision affirmed by an Appeal Court in Abuja.

Galaxy’s Godfrey Eshiemoghie reports that the Judge aligned himself with the Appellate Court judgment that was hinged on Ibezim’s alleged submission of falsified documents in the lead up to the said elections.

Justice Taiwo earlier in a ruling dismissed the third defendant’s application seeking a stay of the judgment, pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the Supreme Court.

But the counsel to Ararume, Tunde Falola, said the suit at the Supreme Court had been withdrawn through a notice of withdrawal and copies served on all the defendants.