Rivers PDP’s lawsuit against Accord candidates is dismissed by the court.

Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, the presiding judge, supported the preliminary objection of the defendant (Accord), dismissing the case due to the appellant’s lack of merit while citing a recent decision in the Court of Appeal in the Lagos and Port Harcourt Divisions.

Daylop-Pam pointed out that making a decision that went against the precedent set by the higher courts would make one seem like a scoundrel. After the ruling, Benjamin Omeje, the attorney representing the Accord candidates, told reporters that the ruling was a triumph for the party’s candidates.

Although the PDP was not pleased with the ruling, they had no choice but to accept it, according to their attorney, Dike Udenna. Dumo Lulu-Briggs, a candidate for governor of Rivers State, said the decision was predictable and emphasized that the issue had already been resolved by prior rulings by the appeals courts in Rivers and Lagos states.

A lawsuit filed by Action Alliance (AA) candidate for governor Aleruchi Williams against party candidate Dawari George was also rejected by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

Williams, who allegedly finished second in the party’s gubernatorial primary, had pleaded with the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to void George’s election and name him the party’s nominee. He argued that George lacked the authority to replace him as the party’s candidate for governor since George had never been an AA member.

However, the case was rejected by the sitting court, Justice Patricia Ajoku, for lack of locus standi and for submitting beyond the deadline.

As a result, Ajoku rejected the lawsuit as being without substance. She pointed out that the plaintiff did not take part in the primary on August 10, 2022, which selected the AA gubernatorial candidate, although she did take part in the first primary election.