Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam of a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Accord Political Party, its governorship candidate in the State, Dumo Lulu-Briggs and his running mate.
Justice Pam reserved the judgment after counsels in the matter argued and adopted their final written addresses. He told the parties that he would communicate them on the new date for the judgement.
The PDP filed the suit seeking directives to INEC to disqualify Accord and its governorship candidate Lulu-Briggs and his running from participating in the 2023 elections, claiming that the delegates elections that brought them in was not monitor by the INEC.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, counsel to Lulu-Briggs and his running mate, Abiodun Owonikoko, (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria) expressed concern over recent conflicting position of Port Harcourt division of federal High Court in political suit.
“The matter was adjourned from last week till today (Friday) for hearing of the main case and all the objections. And today, the court heard all the parties. You must have observed that the court gave all of us opportunity to expatiate the peak of our cases.”
“It emerged that what brought the candidate of Accord to court at the instance of PDP has nothing to do with the primary that led to his emergence, it has to do with congresses held for election of candidates that came for the primary and that was on May 5, meanwhile, the suit was filed on October.
“I believe that all the issues has canvassed, all the parties will give His Lordship some food for thought about what the justice of this case is all about, particularly in the light of recent development within this division of the federal high court where there appears to be scoundrel direction about the right of opposition party to intercede and interlope in the affairs of others”.
Responding to questions from journalists at the court immediately after adjournment, the governorship candidate of Accord, Lulu-Briggs frown at the notice by the state government threatening to shutdown his party campaign office.
He warned Rivers State government to learn to be law abiding and should know that campaign is not commercial activities.
“The PDP has their offices all over Port Harcourt, next to churches, residential areas, commercial areas etc. But the very worrying thing is that campaigns are not commercial. I think the PDP should get it right, you don’t convert campaign offices for commercial activities”.
Justice Emmanuel Obile of a Federal High Court, also sitting Port Harcourt, had recently, disqualified the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, Tonye Cole over dual citizenship and non compliance to electoral act by his party.
