A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by some aggrieved members of Akwa Ibom Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the nullification of the state’s primaries conducted between May 22 and May 26.
The primary polls were conducted to elect the party’s candidates for the 2023 House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial and governorship elections.
The aggrieved members, who were plaintiffs in the suit, also sought the order of the court nullifying the outcome of the April 30 ward congress that produced the ad-hoc delegates who voted in the primaries.
The plaintiffs; Mr Friday Iwok and 30 others, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and the elected ad-hoc delegates who emerged from the ward congresses conducted as 1st to 331st defendants respectively.
Delivering judgement, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the suit lacked merit.
Justice Obiora said that the plaintiffs, having not participated in the delegates’ election of the party in the state, lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.
According to him, for a party to have a locus standi, he must have participated in the election to which he is contending the outcome.
On the submission of the plaintiffs that the action of the PDP contravened the issue of fair hearing, the judge said that the plaintiffs did not show how their constitutional rights were denied by the party.
Egwuatu said that even though the plaintiffs averred that they purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest in the ward congresses that produced the delegates, he held that the public notice of the party for the election was clear.
