Rivers PDP Set To Disqualify Accord Party From Gubernatorial Election

Mohammed Oluwatimileyin Mohammed reports,

The Rivers State Chapter of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party is asking a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognize Hon. Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the governorship candidate of the Accord Party.

The PDP sets its prayers on the argument that the governorship primary conducted by the Accord Party as at May 28, which had the business tycoon, Lulu-Briggs did not comply with the standards set by the fresh electoral act.

Also, the opposition party asked the court to instruct INEC not to recognize the candidates for other elective positions, especially for National Assembly elections for the same reason.

Meanwhile, with the case being mentioned in court today, the Accord Party through its lawyer, Abdullahi Mohammed filed a notice of preliminary objection on the grounds that the PDP is status barred from challenging the conduct of the primary.

The Accord Party also filed a conditional appearance to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine the suit.

It also submitted that the PDP lacks the locus stand to challenge it on the issue of how a party’s primary was conducted.

In his reaction to his preliminary objections, a lawyer the to PDP, Dike Udenna, asked the court to grant him more time to be able to file appropriate responses to the issues raised by the Counsel to the Accord Party, Abdullahi Mohammed.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Stephen Daylip-Pam, grated the request and adjourned the matter till May 29 for a hearing of the main suit and the preliminary objections raised by the Accord Party.

However, the Lawyer of the PDP ignored to speak to Track News Nigeria but the counsel to Accord Party and the Party’s Gubernatorial Candidate who was present in court are confident that the outcome of the matter will be in their favour following their points of defence.