The Federal High Court, Abuja has struck out the suit by the Peoples Democratic Party seeking disqualification of governorship and National Assembly candidates of the Labour Party and Young Progressives Party, in the 2023 general elections.
The suit was on Monday thrown out by the court for want of diligent prosecution.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1899/2022, PDP sought an order from the court nullifying the published names of candidates of the two parties.
The party also sought another order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to delete the names of the published candidates.
Furthermore, PDP applied for another order nullifying the result sheets of the purported primaries on grounds of being illegal, invalid and of no effect whatsoever.
The party had alleged that LP and YPP failed t conduct primary elections before the submission of their candidates’ names to the electoral umpire.
Among others, PDP claimed that the two parties failed to give the electoral body mandatory 21 days’ notice as required by law before conducting their respective purported selection processes.
Through its counsel, Egwuaba Reuben, the PDP prayed for outright disqualification of their governorship and National Assembly candidates.
PDP specifically alleged that the LP and YPP breached sections 29, 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 in their respective primary elections that produced the candidates for the 2023 general elections and prayed the court to make a declaration that the two parties never conducted any primary elections on any day to select or nominate candidates whose names were purportedly published by INEC to contest the 2023 elections.
However, at Monday’s proceedings, neither PDP nor its counsel was present in court and there was no explanation for their absence.
Following an application for striking the suit, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo agreed that PDP was not diligent in the handling of the suit and subsequently struck out the suit ordering parties to bear the cost of litigation.
Source: Punchng
