43 candidates of the All Progressives Congress have been dragged to court by the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State.
PDP accused the party of allegedly violating the 2022 Electoral Act.
The Plaintiff in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1406/2022, is praying the court to scrutinise and interpret the combined provisions of Section 82(1), (2), (5) and (8) and other enabling laws on that behalf, to interrogate the actions and inactions of APC in relations to notices served on INEC for congress and primaries.
Speaking to our correspondent on Monday in Asaba, the Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor on Communication, Fred Oghenesivbe, said that APC had deliberately violated relevant sections of the Electoral Act 2022, by not adhering strictly to stipulated requirements and time frame for the conduct of party congress.
He said, “The legal infractions committed by the APC have now been subjected to legal interpretations and foreseeable consequential orders via a lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court Abuja, by PDP.
“The Plaintiff is praying the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise all the candidates of the APC in Delta State, for the purpose of 2023 general elections, and to invalidate their candidacy.
“PDP is also praying the court to declare as null and void and of no effect whatsoever, the candidacy of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Governorship candidate, Chief Ede Dafinone for Senator, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for Senate, Hon Waive Ejiroghene Francis for House of Representatives and all other candidates of the party standing for elections in 2023.
“The dates such notices were received, and whether or not APC complied with the periods specifically stated in the aforementioned sections of the Electoral Act 2022; and if not, to declare the congress, primaries and candidacy of all APC candidates in Delta State, null and void and of no effect whatsoever, and to expunge APC logo from 2023 ballot papers in the State.”
Reacting to the suit, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, E.V Onojeghuo, described the suit as dead on arrival.
“This suit by the Delta State PDP is dead on arrival because it is an exercise in futility for a drowning political party that is clutching at straws.
“In the first place, the APC fully complied with the provisions of the extant Electoral Act regarding the issuance of the relevant notices regarding the conduct of our party primary. So we have nothing to fear as far as we are concerned,” he said.
The APC chieftain said that PDP was an act of deranged desperation as the case is already statute barred by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, saying, the APC is confident that the case will not see the light of the day.
