A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu struck out a suit on Friday that sought to disqualify all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Enclave State from participating in the 2023 elections. The suit had been filed by Chika Idoko, the African Democratic Congress candidate for the Enugu North Senatorial District, and was dismissed for lack of locus standi.
In suit No. FHC/EN/CS/217/2022, Idoko sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, and all its candidates in Enugu State. He alleged that the PDP’s primary election violated Section 77 of the Electoral Act and should therefore be declared void, and that the party should be punished under Section 84 of the same law.
The defendants’ counsel argued that, although the alleged irregularity occurred on May 6, the plaintiff waited until September to bring the action. However, Justice Folashade Giwa‑Ogunbanjo, who presided over the case, ruled that the claim was not statute‑barred because it was filed within 14 days of the INEC’s publication of the candidates’ names.
Following the judgment, the PDP Campaign Council in Enugu welcomed the decision, describing it as a victory for democracy and consistent with previous judicial rulings. In a statement, the council’s Director of Public Communications and spokesperson, Nana Ogbodo, 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 and the Supreme Court in matters of this nature.”
Comments are closed for this story.