On Thursday, an Appeal Court in Port Harcourt overturned the decision of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Obile, which disqualified all of the All Progressives Congress candidates for the 2023 elections.
The APC and its candidates went to the Appeal Court to appeal Justice Obile’s decision in the case brought by George Orlu and five other people.
The lead judge of the three-person panel of the appeal, Justice Muhammed Lawal Shuaibu, ruled that George Orlu and five other people had not used all available internal party channels before filing the lawsuit.
The court also held that the respondents in the Appeal did not participate in the congress of the APC and therefore did not have any cause for the action.
The panel said it was inconceivable for the Federal High Court Judge not to have joined the candidates of APC who are interested parties in the suit.
Justice Lawal Shuaibu also said the nomination of delegates and political parties issues are internal party affairs and that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place.
The panel awarded the sum of N500,000 against the respondents in the appeal.
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