Friday, the Enugu Federal High Court dismissed a case that sought to bar all PDP candidates in Enugu State from competing for government in 2023.
The action was brought by Chika Idoko, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the Enugu North Senatorial District, in an effort to have all PDP candidates disqualified for missing the deadline.
Idoko contends that the PDP primary poll was invalid because it violated Section 77 of the Electoral Act. He adds that Section 84 of the same Act should be used to punish the offending party.
He contends that the party broke the law when it provided INEC with its list of members on May 6, 2022, less than 30 days before its primary election.
The plaintiff did not have the right to contest the defendant's political party's internal affairs because he was not a member of that party, according to Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo.
Giwa-Ogunbanjo stated that the locus standi question had been resolved by the judicial authorities of the court of appeal at its many branches throughout the nation, which stated that a person who is not a member of a political party could not dispute its internal matters.
‘The judge struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction and did not award any cost to the plaintiff.