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From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi has 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 concluded 2023 general election.
The suit with no: FHC/AI/CS/7/2023, was filed by Chief Mudi Erhenede, a chieftain of the PDP against Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Erhenede who is a Lead Counsel to the PDP, was seeking disqualification of Governor 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.
He urged the court to declare that the governor’s election should be considered as a nullity.
But Counsel to governor Nwifuru, Ejike Anwu, urged the court to dismiss the petion for lacking in merit.
He argued that the matter was a pre-election matter and therefore statue barred by virtues 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
