A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has struck out the suit seeking the disqualification of all the candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the State from taking part in the 2023 elections.
Delivering judgment instituted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Enugu North Senatorial District candidate, Chika Idoko, the presiding Judge, Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo held that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.
Idoko had in a suit dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, and all its candidates in Enugu State to the court
In delivering her judgment, the judge held that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and that it will be an exercise in futility to continue with the matter and therefore struck it out
However, PDP Campaign has described the judgement as victory for democracy in tandem with established previous judicial decisions and asked the opposition in the State to utilise the remaining campaign windows to market themselves to the people.
In a terse statement released by its Director of Public Communications and Spokesperson, Nana Ogbodo, the Enugu State PDP Campaign Council welcomed the judgement by the Court upholding the primary elections that produced our candidates in the 2023 general election.
He said, “We welcome the judgment by the Honourable Court upholding the primary elections that produced our candidates in the 2023 general election.
“This is a victory for democracy and in tandem with the provisions of our laws and decisions by both the Court of Appeal Court and the Supreme Court in matters of this nature.
“Now that the honourable court has laid this matter to rest, we must seize this opportunity to advice the opposition parties and candidates in Enugu State, who were hoping to secure electoral victory by subterfuge, technicalities, and propaganda to utilise the remaining campaign window to raise their manifestos and proceed to the nooks and crannies of the state to market them to the electorate as the PDP and its candidates have been doing since 2022.
“Meanwhile, we appreciate our party faithful and supporters for their standing with the party every step of the way and urge them to get their voters cards ready to go out there to vote for the PDP on the 25th of February and 11th March 2023,” he said.
He is equally demanding N10 million as cost of the suit.
