Rivers Guber: Court Dismisses APC Suit Seeking To Disqualify Fubara

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State challenging the candidature of Siminialayi Fubara as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Obile, in his judgment on Wednesday, on a preliminary objection raised by PDP, struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction of the court and locus standi by the APC to interfere in the internal affairs of the PDP.
Justice Obile also held that the cause of action by the APC is status barred as it filed the suit five days after the stipulated 14 days from the day of the action. The judge also ruled that the APC failed to establish any reasonable cause of action.
The judge also refused to go into the merit of the suit and insisted that no political party has the right to sue another political party as provided for by electoral laws.
He, thereafter, sustained the preliminary objection by the PDP and awarded a N50,000 cost against the APC in favour of PDP, its governorship candidate and his running mate.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, PDP’s counsel, Dike Udenna commended the judgement, saying the court ruling was not unexpected.

By: Amadi Akujobi