The Action Peoples Party (APP) has asked the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to nullify its own candidates’ victories in the Rivers local government polls held on October 5.
The move may disrupt the plans of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s loyalists, who rode to victory using the APP following the decision of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to boycott the election.
The candidates won the majority of the chairmanship and councillorship seats.
Juboye Abraham, the plaintiff, filed the suit on October 4, urging Justice Binta Nyako to set aside APP’s candidacy and nullify all votes cast for the party’s local government chairperson candidates. Abraham claims that APP breached Section 225(A) of the 1999 Constitution and the Rivers Local Government Law.
The suit names INEC, APP, and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission as defendants, along with 23 elected local government chairpersons.
Abraham seeks a declaration that INEC’s continued recognition of APP as a registered party is illegal and unconstitutional. He also wants INEC to deregister APP and restrain RSIEC from placing APP’s logo on ballots.
When the matter came up before Justice Nyako, the plaintiff’s counsel Kalu Agu requested a short date for hearing, citing the suit as a pre-election matter. APP’s counsel, Obed Agu, promised to respond to the plaintiff’s suit, while INEC’s lawyer was absent.
The court adjourned the matter until February 5, ordering hearing notices to be served on unrepresented defendants.
