Wike meddlesome, Lulu-Briggs alleges as court reserves judgment in PDP, Accord case

Governorship candidate of Accord, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has described the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as a meddlesome interloper, as Federal High Court, yesterday, reserved judgment in a suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Accord.

Also yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told the Federal High Court that Accord informed the Commission of the date and venue of its House of Assembly primary election, maintaining that it monitored the entire process.

N.A. Bawa, counsel for INEC, in the suit filed by PDP against Accord and its 27 House of Assembly candidates, told the court that the primary by Accord complied with the session of the electoral act that permits consensus.

Counsels for Accord, Abdullahmeed Mohammed and that of the 27 candidates, Abiodun Owonikoko, in their adoption of final written addresses, argued that the suit is status barred and that the plaintiff failed to identify the constituencies of the defendants and asked the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit.

In his defence, counsels for PDP, Emmanuel Ukala and Dike Udenna, argued and adopted the final written addresses in both preliminary objection and originating summons and asked the court to uphold their prayers and disqualify all the candidates of Accord.

he presiding judge, Justice Ayuwah Phoebe, after listening to both arguments and adopting the final written addresses, adjourned till December 7, 2022.

Similarly, in a separate suit filed by PDP against National Assembly candidates of Accord, the presiding judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, adjourned till November 14 for a definite hearing of the matter.

LULU-BRIGGS, in his reaction, expressed concern that instead of the state government concentrating on governance by taking care of flood victims in the state, it is busy meddling in the affairs of other parties, insisting that there is no merit in the suit which he described as mere distraction.

“The grounds that were canvassed today by our counsel are very germane and we are quite optimistic because the Nigerian Constitution does not expect a meddlesome interloper to bring an action for a pre-election matter. So all of those objections were raised today. We expect that, by the grace of God, judgment will be delivered,” he said.