Court Disqualifies 16 APC House Of Assembly Candidates In Rivers

Sixteen candidates of the All Progressives Congress for Rivers State House of Assembly in the 2023 elections have been disqualified for non-compliance with the new Electoral Act.

Justice Mohammed Adamu of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State gave the order in the ruling on Friday.

The People Democratic Party instituted a case for non-monitoring of the APC legislative primary by the Independent National Electoral Commission, in a suit number FHC/PH/CS/152/2022.

The councils and constituencies affected are: Obio/Akpor 1 and 2, Andoni, Okrika, Ahoada west, Khana1and 2, PH 1, 2 and 3, Etche 1 and 2 Oyigbo, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.

The spokesman of the 2023 Elections Campaign Council of the Rivers APC, Sogbeye Eli, expressed surprised at the judgement, but said his party would never break despite it being stretched by anti-democratic forces.

Eli said in a statement that party faithful and its teeming supporters of its candidates should not be bothered neither to despair nor be agitated.

He said the APC would appeal to reverse the judgment and restore the manda would of candidates ahead of the elections, adding that the party would be on the ballot in the state.

The statement reads, “The 2023 Elections Campaign Council of the APC received with surprise the news of another judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt this afternoon ordering the disqualification of our candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly in 16 State Constituencies for the March 11, 2023 general election.

“Delivering judgment in the case brought by the PDP; PDP v. INEC and 33 Others (FHC/PH/CS/152/2022), Justice Turaki Mohammed ruled in favour of the plaintiffs for non-monitoring of the APC legislative primary by INEC in Andoni, Etche Constituency 1 & 2, Tai, Gokana, Oyigbo, Eleme, Port Harcourt Constituency 1, 2 & 3, Khana Constituency 1 & 2, Okrika, Ahoada West and Obio/Akpor Constituency 1 & 2.

“With this verdict, only the candidates for Ahoada East 1 & 2, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni 1 & 2, Emohua, Degema, Akuku Toru 1 & 2, Asari Toru 1 & 2, Bonny, Ikwerre, Omuma, Opobo/Nkoro, Abua/Odual and Ogu/Bolo were spared in the judgment.

“In the circumstance, the Campaign Council is compelled yet again to urge party faithful and millions of Rivers people supporting our candidates in the affected State Constituencies not to despair or be agitated as we proceed on appeal to reverse the judgment and restore our candidates ahead of the elections.

“We recall that the same INEC had led evidence to prove that the Commission monitored the APC primary before another Judge of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division, in another matter challenging the eligibility of our candidates for the National Assembly (Senate and the House of Representatives).

“The enemies of democracy in our state who are afraid to meet us at the polls are out to break our spirit and force a fait accompli on the Rivers electorate who are backing our candidates.

“But they have failed. We will contest the coming elections at all levels and win after setting aside this judgment as the constitution allows the APC.”