A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the nomination of Dumo Lulu-Briggs as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after the plaintiff formally withdrew the case.
The suit was instituted by Kings Unyeawaji, an aspirant of the NDC, who alleged that he was excluded from the party’s governorship primary election. He asked the court to invalidate the emergence of Lulu-Briggs as the party’s candidate.
Counsel to Lulu-Briggs, Ibim Dokubo, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. He also maintained that the plaintiff had no legal standing to file the suit because he did not participate in the primary election and that the action was filed outside the legally prescribed 14-day period for disputes arising from party primaries.
When the case came up before Justice Muhammed Turaki, the plaintiff’s lawyer applied to discontinue the suit. With no objection from the defendants, the court dismissed the matter.
Reacting to the ruling, Lulu-Briggs welcomed the decision and praised the plaintiff for allowing the dispute to end peacefully. He called on political stakeholders to embrace sportsmanship and accept election outcomes in the interest of democracy.
He urged politicians to engage in peaceful campaigns and allow voters to determine the outcome of elections, stressing that healthy political competition would contribute to the development of Rivers State.
Lulu-Briggs also expressed confidence in his vision for the state, stating that, if elected, he would focus on economic growth and policies aimed at improving the lives of residents.
