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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Three stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have sued the state factional chairman of the party, Aaron Chukwuemeka, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), the PDP and the government of Rivers State over the nomination of the party’s chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors for the last council elections in the state.
The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, in an originating summons, are asking the court to determine whether Aaron Chukwuemeka, whose congresses that brought him to office had been nullified, can validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the just-concluded local government council elections by virtue of the judgment of the Rivers State High Court delivered against his emergence.
The claimants also want the court to determine, among other reliefs, whether the PDP had presented a valid list of candidates to RSIEC through Aaron Chukwuemeka so as to enable the candidates to have taken part in the 30 August 2025 council elections.
The claimants asked for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, privies, agents, assigns, administrators and/or howsoever so named, from interfering and/or further interfering with the PDP’s internal affairs with regard to the nomination and presentation of candidates for elective positions.
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When the matter came up in court on Thursday, the claimants’ counsel, Glory Chizim-Chinda, orally applied for an order for substituted service on the second and third defendants.
Presiding judge, Justice Stephen Jumbo, granted the application and ordered that the processes should be served on the state secretariat of the PDP on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
Justice Jumbo, before adjourning to 9 February 2026 for an application for joinder, directed the claimants’ counsel to serve the processes on the Port Harcourt City Council chairman, his vice and councillors; the Obio/Akpor council chairman, his vice and councillors; and the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni council chairman, his vice and councillors.
While counsel to RSIEC and the Rivers State government, S. Ogunka, informed the court of their preliminary objection to the suit, the claimants’ counsel, Chizim-Chinda, in an interview with newsmen outside the court, explained what prompted his clients to approach the court.
