Posted by On account of a lack of jurisdiction, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt dismissed on Tuesday a lawsuit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that contested Accord’s ability to run for governor and be his running mate in the Rivers State general elections in 2023.
In a second case, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, the presiding judge, likewise dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the PDP’s claim against all of Accord’s National Assembly candidates.
In his ruling, Justice Daylop-Pam avoided discussing the merits of the case and instead based it on recent decisions of the Appeal Court in Lagos and Rivers State, which held that no court has the authority to hear a lawsuit brought by another political party that is interfering with internal party matters.
The judge warned that he would be labeled a rascal if he attempted to intervene in the case after the appeal court had made a ruling on a related issue.
After then, he upheld the defendants’ attorneys’ objections to the lawsuit.
Benjamin Omeje and Joy Nuniee, the defendants in the lawsuit, said the ruling was a win for democracy.
Dike Udenna, the PDP’s attorney, declined to engage with reporters.