Ogona Anita
A Port Harcourt Appeal court has set aside the judgment of Federal High Court presided over by Justice EMMANUEL OBILE which nullified all candidates of the APC.
The three man panel of the Appeal in their judgment delivered by the led Judge, Justice Muhammed Lawal-Shuaibu said George Orlu and five others did not exhaust internal party mechanism before instituting the suit.
The court also held that the respondent did not participate in the congress of the APC and did not have any cause for the action, just as they described as Inconceivable for the Federal High Court Judge not to have joined the candidates of APC who are interested parties in the suit.
Justice Lawal-Shuaibu said the nomination of delegates and political parties is issues of internal party affairs and that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place and thereby set aside the judgment.
The judge awarded the sum of five hundred thousand naira as cost against the respondent in favour of APC.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, one of the counsels to APC, Emenike Ebete said the judgement delivered in favour of his client is a judgement for Democracy, saying that the judgment has cleared APC and all the candidates to contest 2023 general elections.
On their parts, Senatorial Candidate for Rivers West Mr.Asita Asita and Rivers South East Senatorial District Candidate, Oji Ngofa expressed happiness on the judgement.
