A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital has dismissed a suit seeking to nullify the candidacy of the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji MNSE, for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency at the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

In the Suit No FHC/UM/CS/62/2022: Ndid Nwagbara and six others vs INEC, PDP and 37 others including Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji MNSE, the claimants had prayed the court to nullify the congresses that produced the 3-man Ad-Hoc delegates that voted at the PDP primaries that produced its candidates in Abia.

Delivering judgement on the matter, Hon Justice Evelyn Anyadike declared that the claimants were not aspirants at the PDP primaries in contention therefore lacked the locus standi to institute the case. The Judge further averred that the issue of 3-man Ward Ad-Hoc delegates for the primaries is an internal affair of the party and is therefore not justiciable.

The court further held that the Suit is not a pre-election matter as defined by Section 285 (14) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, therefore making it lack jurisdiction to entertain the matter.