2nd December, 2022
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
There have been jubilation among the supporters of two parties, Action Democratic Party, ADP, and African Democratic Congress ADC, over a judgment of Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt setting aside two rulings of Federal High Court disqualifying their candidates.
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Turaki Mohammed had invalidated the nomination of five House of Assembly candidates of ADP and seven ADC House of Assembly candidates.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State had dragged the two parties to court seeking the disqualification of the two candidates over alleged noncompliance with the Electoral Act 2022 in the conduct of the primaries that led to their emergence.
However, a panel of court of appeal in its lead judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole on the two different appeals by the two parties dismissed nullification of the candidates by the lower court.
Justice Kolawole said the lower court ordinarily should not have entertained the suits in the first place.
The Judge also ruled that the candidates of the two political parties for the position of the House of Assembly were validly nominated and could participate in the forthcoming general elections.
With the judgment, the Court of Appeal ADP will now field candidates for: Emohua, Eleme, Bonny, Omuma, and Oyigbo State House of Assembly.
Speaking to Journalists outside the Court room, one of the lawyers to PDP, Dike Udenna, said they will get the copy of the judgement and advised their clients on what to do after studying the judgement.
In an interview, the lawyer to ADP, Donald Otogbo, explained that this judgment has confirmed that democracy is at work in the State.
In the meantime, the chairman of ADP in Rivers State, Christian Kendrick said the judgment is a win for Rivers people.