Tension as PDP Takes Legal Moves Against Top APC 2023 Candidate Over Dual Citizenship
- The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers state has taken legal action against the governorship candidate in the state Tonye Cole
- In a suit filed against the Rivers candidate, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National electoral Commission, the PDP is challenging Cole's candidacy
- According to the PDP, Cole holds dual citizenship and, as such, cannot contest or win the governorship election in the state
The Rivers state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole will on Thursday, November 24, know his fate in the suit filed against him by the Peoples Democratic Party.
The PDP in the suit challenged Cole's alleged dual citizenship against the tenets of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Source: Depositphotos
Seeking Cole's disqualification from participating in the 2023 general election, the PDP instituted the suit against the APC's Rivers state guber candidate, the ruling party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The opposition party in the suit filed before Justice Emmanuel Obile of the Federal High Court 2, Port Harcourt, alleged that Cole holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United Kingdom
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PM News reports that while speaking at a press conference, the spokesperson for Tonye Cole/Innocent Barikor 2023 Campaign Council, Sogbeye Eli said the PDP had asked the court to disqualify the APC candidate because someone with dual citizenship is not eligible to contest for an election in Nigeria.
Justice Obile had, in a judgment on October 25, 2022, disqualified Cole and all candidates of the APC for the 2023 general elections.
The disqualification by the court followed suit filed by one George Orlu and others who alleged that they were delegates of the party but were excluded at primaries by the ruling party.
However, a panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt stopped the INEC from effecting the judgment last Friday.
The court also ordered the three sets of applicants to file their appellants' briefs having granted them leave to appeal against the judgment.
Court gives verdict on Wike's anointed PDP governorship candidate
Similarly, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt dismissed a seeking to disqualify the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Siminalaye Fubara
One of the contestants in the Rivers Gubernatorial election, Morgan West, had approached the court in June to disqualify Fubara.
However, Justice Adamu T. Mohammed threw out the case for lack of competence and lack of jurisdiction.
PDP Crisis: Wike reveals permutation to win 2023 election in Rivers, gives fresh condition to Atiku
Legit.ng earlier reported that Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, boasted that the PDP would win all polls in the state, including governorship, and House of Assembly seats.
Wike had also expressed uncertainty about the chances of the party when it comes to winning the presidential election in the state.
In a message, the governor disclosed that PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar would not win the state if the right thing was not done.
Source: Legit.ng
