Hearing on the preliminary objections by Accord in Rivers State in a suit filed by the People’s Democratic Party at Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over alleged non compliance to new electoral has been fixed for 13th of September, 2022.
When the matter was mentioned in court, counsels to Accord, ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED SAN and the Counsel for Accord National Assembly candidates, ABIODU OWONIKOKO SAN moved motions on notice and regularize their process.
Our correspondent reports that Counsel to PDP, DEN NWEIGWE on his part also filed an application to join more defendants in the suit.
Justice STEPHEN DAYLOP-PAM after listening to the motions and applications adjourned till 13th of September, for hearing.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, Counsel to Accord, ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED SAN said
“Well just to regularise our processes,counter affidavit and in the interim we have filed an application seeking for the matter to be struck out or dismissed on grounds of jurisdiction and we filed a motion to bring in other defendants by way of joinder and we indicated to court that is not ripe for hearing and at any event we said we are going to oppose that application and then the matter was subsequently adjouned to 13th for the pending application “.
Counsel to the sixteen National Assembly candidates of the party, ABIODU OWONIKOKO SAN said
“Yes you know the last time we where in court we filed preliminary objection to the suit and then the matter was adjourned to today for that to happen.But the interval,the plantiffs has filed motion to join some other people in the action and the time for us to respond to that joinder has not elapse and the merit of the case itself .We have also filed our processes in answer.So we know that the issue of jurisdiction you have to cross that hurdle before you can go into the merit of joinder of other people .
“So my Lord and all of us has agreed to come back on September 13,2022.for the pending application which ever one the court finds ripe for hearing on that day .God willing we will all be back on that 13 of September”.
In an interview with newsmen at the court premises, the Governorship candidate of Accord, Chief DUMO LULU-BRIGGS described the action of PDP in the state as distraction and expressed optimism that Rivers people must decide who lead them politically in 2023.