Anthony Iwuoma
An Appeal Court sitting, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, which sacked all the candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 elections.
The APC and its candidates had approached the Appeal Court to challenge the judgement of Justice Emmanuel Obile in favour of a case filed by one George Orlu and 5 others, which disqualified them from contesting in next year’s election.
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The three-man panel of the appeal in its judgment delivered by the lead judge, Justice Muhammed Lawal Shuaibu said George Orlu and 5 others failed to fully utilise the internal party mechanisms before going to court.
The panel added that the respondents did not have any cause for the action since they did not participate in the congress of the APC.
It held that the Federal High Court Judge’s failure to join interested APC candidates, as interested parties in the suit was inconceivable.
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Justice Lawal Shuaibu noted that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place since the nomination of delegates and political parties issues are internal party affairs.
The panel awarded the sum of N500,000 against the respondents in the appeal.
