From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
The Federal High Court, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, yesterday, dismissed a suit filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the nomination of Governor Francis Nwifuru as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 general election.
The suit no: FHC/AI/CS/7/2023 was filed by Chief Mudi Erhenede, a chieftain of the PDP against Governor Nwifuru.
Erhenede, who is a lead Counsel to the PDP, was seeking disqualification of Nwifuru as the candidate of the APC, claiming that the governor was a member of the PDP when he contested the governorship election. He alleged that the governor was still a bonafide member of PDP when he was nominated by the APC and urged the court to declare his election a nullity.
But counsel to governor Nwifuru, Ejike Anwu, urged the court to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit. He said the matter was a pre-election matter and, therefore, barred by virtue of section 285 paragraph 9 of the 1999 constitution.
In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, agreed with the position of the governor’s counsel and dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.