Rivers 2023: APC drags INEC, PDP to court, demands rejection of PDP Gov’ship, State Assembly candidates  

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has filedtwo separate suits in court against the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting the rejection of PDP candidates in Rivers State by the INEC for the 2023 general elections.

This may be retaliatory suits as the PDP had in July filed a suit before a Federal High Court, seeking the non-recognition of APC candidates for the National Assembly election by INEC, arguing that INEC  did not monitor the primaries.

The APC, in one of the suits marked, FHC/PH/CS/162/2022, prayed a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to disqualify the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State, Siminialayi Fubara, from contesting the election over allegations that the PDP erred on certain provisions of the new electoral act.

The APC in the second suit – number FHC/PH/CS/163/2022 – urges the court to disqualify all 32 candidates of the PDP for the State House of Assembly election for the same reasons.

The APC argued that the PDP delayed presenting the register containing the names of their candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission within 30 days as required by law.

The APC further pointed out that the PDP did not properly sign the letter containing the names of the candidates before submitting it to the INEC.

At the mention of the suit in court, counsel to the APC, C.C. Dike, moved a motion exparte for a substituted service.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Ayuah Phoebe, granted the request, and adjourned the case to August 31 for hearing.

The state PDP had filed a suit in July argued that the National Assembly primaries conducted by the APC in Rivers State was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, including raising other infractions.