Enugu, the Enugu state capital, was on Friday thrown into a festive mood as the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu struck out a suit seeking to disqualify all the candidates of the PDP in the state from taking part in the 2023 elections.
If the suit had succeeded, it would have been a big disaster because even Gov. Ugwuanyi’s senatorial ambition would have been derailed.
The matter which was instituted by the Enugu North Senatorial district candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) party, Chika Idoko, sought the disqualification of all PDP candidates for breach of time frame.
Idoko claimed that the PDP primary election was in contravention of Section 77 of the Electoral Act and should thus be voided, adding that the party should be punished in line with extant provisions of the Section 84 of the same Act.
His argument is that the party submitted its membership register to INEC on May 6, 2022, less than 30 days to its primary election, contrary to the provisions of the law.
However, delivering a delayed judgement, Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo, held that the plaintiff having not been a member of the defendant’s political party lacked the locus standi to challenge the internal affair of another party.
Giwa-Ogunbanjo held that the judicial authorities of the court of appeal at its various divisions in the country had decided on the issue of locus standi where a non- party member “cannot challenge internal affairs of a political party.”
The judge struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction and did not award any cost to the plaintiff.
