By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday set aside two Federal High Court judgments that invalidated the nominations of Action Democratic Party ADP and African Democratic Congress ADC State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State.
In a unanimous judgment by a three-man panel of appeal led by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, the court granted the prayers of the appellants-ADP and ADC.
In the judgment read by Justice Kolawole, the court said the lower court ordinarily should not have entertained the suit, insisting that the candidates for the State House of Assembly election were validly nominated and could participate in the forthcoming general elections.
The Appeal Court also held that no political party has the locus to challenge the primaries of another political party.
The Federal High Court presided over by Justice Turaki Mohammed had earlier in the month invalidated the nominations of five ADP state House of Assembly candidates and seven ADC House of Assembly candidates after the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State dragged them to court over alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Counsel to ADP, Donald Otogbo described the judgment as democracy at work.
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