Court Clears Accord To Contest 2023 Elections In Rivers

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the eligibility of Accord, its governorship candidate and running mate to contest the 2023 general elections in Rivers State.

The court struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.

The presiding judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, in a ruling on Tuesday also struck out a separate suit by the PDP against all the National Assembly candidates of Accord for lack of jurisdiction.

The PDP in the suit prayed the court to declare that Accord and its candidates are not entitled to participate in the 2023 general elections in respect of the elective positions into membership of the Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly for any of the constituencies in Rivers or to nominate, sponsor or field any of the defendants as candidates in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, having failed to hold valid primaries for the nomination of its candidates, as required by law and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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But Justice Daylop-Pam, who did not go into the merit of the matter based his judgment on the recent decision of the Appeal Court in Lagos and Rivers states which revealed that no court has jurisdiction to hear any case filed by another political party bothering on internal party affairs of another political party.

The judge insisted that any attempt by him to interfere in the matter after the appellate court had taken decision on a similar matter will amount to rascality and thereby upheld the objections of the Counsels to the defendants and struck out the suits by PDP.

Speaking to Newsmen outside the courtroom, counsels for Accord, the governorship candidate, its running mate and National Assembly candidates hailed the judgment as victory to Accord and democracy.

Also speaking, the governorship candidate of Accord in Rivers, Dumo Lulu-Briggs expressed happiness that justice was not denied at last.

He said the court has put a stop to every meddlesome of PDP into other political parties in the State just as other Accord members hail the judgement.

However, counsel for PDP, Dike Udenna refused to speak to journalists after the judgment.