2023: APC jubilates as A’Court sets aside judgement disqualifying candidates in Rivers

 An Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt has set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Emmanuel Obile which sacked all the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections.

The APC and its candidates had approached the Appeal Court to challenge a judgment of Justice Obile in the matter filed by one George Orlu and 5 others.

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The three-man panel of the appeal in its judgment delivered by the lead judge, Justice Muhammed Lawal Shuaibu on Thursday, December 15, 2022, said George Orlu and 5 others did not exhaust the internal party mechanisms before instituting the suit.

The court also held that the respondents in the Appeal did not participate in the congress of the APC and therefore did not have any cause for the action.

The panel said it was inconceivable for the Federal High Court Judge not to have joined the candidates of APC who are interested parties in the suit.

Justice Lawal Shuaibu also said the nomination of delegates and political parties issues are internal party affairs and that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.

The panel awarded the sum of N500,000 against the respondents in the appeal.