Port Harcourt—The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court that sacked candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Justice A. T. Mohammed of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt had on November 11, 2022, disqualified candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Rivers State House of Assembly following a lawsuit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that sought to restrain INEC from recognizing the candidates.
But in its ruling on the Appeal filed by the Rivers State APC, the Appeal Court said the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and its decision to disqualify the candidates of the APC is null and void.
The Court also held that the respondent (PDP) had no locus standi to institute the action challenging the primary election of the Appellant (APC) in the first place.
The Court, however, said the PDP can appeal the judgment.
