PDP Wants to be Sole Contestant in Rivers, Says Falana

*Lulu-Briggs says PDP’s suit challenging Accord primaries a distraction

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A prominent human rights activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has claimed that the reason the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dragged other political parties in Rivers state to Court over primaries is because PDP wants to be sole contestant in the 2023 elections.

Falana who is representing the Social Democratic Party (PDP) in a suit filed against the party and its candidates by the PDP in Rivers state, spoke on Friday after the adjournment of the matter in a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

The PDP filed three separate suits against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Accord, SDP, Labour Party and some of their candidates, challenging the credibility of the political parties’ National Assembly primaries in the state.

The presiding Judge, Justice Dalyop  Pam, had adjourned all the suits against the three political parties till August 31, this year for definite hearing, after the counsels in the matter made their submissions on their applications and counter affidavits.

Speaking with Journalists outside the courtroom, Falana explained, “PDP sued the INEC, the Social Democratic Party and 15 members of the SDP. The sole purpose of the case, is an attempt by the PDP to be the sole contestant in all elections in Rivers State in 2023. 

“The PDP is challenging the results of the primaries conducted by the SDP and I think PDP is doing that to all the other political parties in Rivers State, with a view not to have an election in this state for any positions”. 

On his party, Counsel to the Accord, Abdulhameed Mohammed (SAN) explained that the processes filed by the applicant (PDP) against his client (SDP) was out of time, stating that the constitution stipulates that the processes should be done within 14 days.

Mohammed further explained that in their application, they urged the court to struck out the suit against Accord, noting that PDP filed a case against “Accord Party” not “Accord” his client party.

“And we are even challenging their locus to file the suit. That they do not have any standing in court because a political party can not challenge another party’s activities guided by different Constitution, guided by different rules and then subsequently we filed a motion to strike out name of the Accord because it was sued as the Accord Party, that party does not exist in Nigeria”. 

One of the counsels to PDP (applicant) Dike Udenna, who also spoke at the court premises, explained “The one in respect of Accord political party, the court was informed that they are disputing their own existence. They filed an application before the court to say their name is Accord, that there is no political party known as Accord Party. We opposed it. We know them as Accord Party and all the papers from INEC bears Accord Party as their name. 

“The one for Social Democratic Party, Femi Falana SAN entered appearance for the defendants and is still within the same time having just been served with the originating processes a while. The one for Labour Party, they still have about two days. So it was also adjourned to August 31, to enable them file all their papers. The matters are now for hearing”.

Meanwhile, the gubernatorial candidate of Accord, Chief Dumu Lulu-Briggs, who was in court, said the case was a tactics by PDP to distract other political parties while they are indirectly campaigning across the state.

Lulu-Briggs who is not a party in the suit but in solidarity with his party (Accord) at the court stressed “I think is a deliberate attack by the PDP to meddle in other people’s affairs, cause disruption while they go round the Local Government Areas campaigning in the name of PVC drive.

“For us, this level of hysteria that the party is showing is baffling. The PDP must go for contest whether they like it or not. You are done with your primaries, nobody is querying your primaries. If you have a candidate, put him there let the electorate decide and you can’t take away the rights of the people to decide who they want and you can’t appoint a governor for Rivers people. We are ready for the elections, Rivers people are tired of underhand tactics. We want free, fair, credible elections.”