*Report by Mudasir Opeyemi
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.
PDP had approached the FHC in the state asking the court to declare that Accord and its candidates are not entitled to participate in the 2023 general elections
PDP claim was that Accord Party 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).
Delivering his judgement on Tuesday,the presiding judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
The judge also struck out a separate suit by the PDP against all the National Assembly candidates of Accord for lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Daylop-Pam,was however silenced about the merit of the matter but 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.
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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 to defendants in the suit,Benjamin Omeje and Joy Nuniee described the judgement as a “victory for democracy.”