Alleged Illegal Primaries: Court Dismisses Akwa Ibom PDP Members’ Suit

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by some aggrieved members of Akwa Ibom Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the party over the alleged conduct of the state’s primary elections, for lack of Merit.

Delivering judgment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, said the plaintiffs, having not participated in the delegates’ election, lacked the right to institute the suit.

READ ALSO: Osun Election: PDP Accuses APC Of Rigging Plots, Scheme To Bribe INEC

He also agreed with the PDP that the plaintiffs did not exhaust the party’s internal mechanism to resolve the issue before filing the matter.

The plaintiffs – Mister Friday Iwok and 30 others – had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and the elected ad-hoc delegates who emerged from the ward congresses.

The plaintiffs had asked the court to declare the outcome of the ward congress of the party in Akwa Ibom a nullity.

The development followed the PDP’s ward congress organised on April 30 to elect three ad-hoc delegates that would vote in the party primaries.

The applicants, however, filed a suit, asking the court to set aside the results of the ward congress.

They alleged that no election was conducted to choose the ad-hoc delegates in the state.