Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday invalidated five House of Assembly candidates of Action Democratic Party ADP in Rivers State over the party’s non-compliance with the new electoral act. Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the State took ten House of Assembly candidates of ADP for not complying with the new electoral act.
When the matter came up today for judgment, the presiding Judge, Justice Turaki Muhammed said the PDP was able to prove to the court that five of the ADP House of Assembly candidates’ primary were not monitored by INEC as such remains invalidated.
Justice Muhammed however said it cannot nullify the five other ADP candidates because the PDP did not provide enough evidence to determine that the primaries were held outside the constituencies.
The affected constituencies ADP will not field candidates are: Emohua, Eleme, Bonny, Omuma, and Oyigbo State House of Assembly.
While Asari Toru Constituency 1 and 2 as well as Port Harcourt Constituency 1.2 and 3 the ADP candidacy are not invalidated.
One of the lawyers to PDP Dike Udenna told our correspondent that the court agreed that all the primaries of ADP not duely monitored by INEC are invalid,so PDP succeeded in part in extent that five of the House of Assembly constituency,ADP is not entitled to field candidates as their candidates have been disqualified and declared ineligible to contest.
Mr Udenna said Both parties has the right to contest but that is the position of the law for now.
In the meantime, the chairman of ADP in Rivers State, Christian Kendrick said in the days to come they will come up with their next line of action after consulting with their lawyers.