An Nnewi , Anambra State based Civil Society Group, ‘Youth for Good Governance’ (YFGG) has petitioned INEC demanding the disqualification of the LP candidate, Chief Chuma Nzeribe whom they alleged is a convicted felon who is supposed to be behind bars doing his time as a convict and not to be seen in the electoral space.
Chief Nzeribe is the Labour Party candidate for the August 2025 by-election scheduled by INEC to fill the vacant position occasioned by the death of former Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP) representing Anambra South Senatorial Zone.
In a letter dated July and sighted by AFP News , the group slammed the Labour Party and the candidate for blatant violation of the provisions of Sections 66(1)(c) and (d) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Sections 84(3) of the Electoral Act which prohibits political parties from imposing qualifications and disqualifications of candidates except as provided by Sections 65,66,106,107,131,137,177 and 187 of the 1999 CFRN.
Section 66 of the Constitution disqualifies a person from contesting an office if:
(c) He is under the sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria, or a sentence of imprisonment or fine or any other offence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal, or substituted by such a court.
(d) within a period of less than ten years before the date of an election to a legislative house, has been convicted and sentenced for any offence involving dishonesty or have been found guilty of a contravention of the Code of Conduct.
According to the group , Hon. Chuma Nzeribe was on the 23rd of May 2022 in the matter of Hon Chuma Nzeribe v. Federal Republic of Nigeria case Nr. FCT/CR/791/2020 convicted of fraud and dishonesty, and duly sentenced to 10 yrs, 10 yrs and 5yrs without option of fine and in another count fined N10m by Halilu JC on a four Count Charge bothering on Advanced Fee Fraud and forgery.
Nzeribe, who attempted fleeing justice, was subsequently accosted , rearrested, and confined to Kuje Correctional Centre to serve his prison terms.
His resurfacing to now contest LP primary and nominated as Senatorial candidate raises suspicion that he was surreptitiously let out of prison without due process.
The group insisted that allowing such a travesty to stand is an injury to not just the judicial system but to the Constitution and Electoral Act. ‘Is this the Nigeria we wanted?’,the group querried .
For more reading on this issue, see attached well considered court judgement of the FCT High Court.
