Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Chief Thomas Ereyitomi as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Warri House of Representatives seat in the 2027 general election.

The judge on Thursday dismissed a suit brought against him by another aspirant for the constituency, Dr Ekpoto Emmanuel, challenging his nomination and submission of his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Emmanuel had in the suit prayed the court to nullify the emergence of Ereyitomi as the candidate of the APC for the Warri Federal Constituency.

His grouse against Ereyitomi’s nomination by APC was that he was a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, at the time he stood for the May 16, 2026 primary election that produced him.

The plaintiff urged the court to disqualify Ereyitomi who is the 3rd defendant in the suit and declare him the lawful winner of the primary election, having scored second highest votes in the primary poll.

However, in his judgment, Justice Umar agreed with Ereyitomi, APC and INEC that the case of the plaintiff was membership of a political party.

The judge held that membership of political party is an internal affairs of the APC and cannot be looked into by any law court.

He also held that once the National Working Committee of a political party sets up a screening committee, and all aspirants screened and cleared and proceeded to sell expression of interest and nomination forms to candidates, it is assumed that the issue of membership of the party by the cleared aspirant can no longer be an issue as in the present case.

The judge stated, “What is more, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the custodian of party documents including membership register, claimed that it was not aware of dual party membership raised against the third defendant (Thomas).

“On his part, the third defendant in his counter-affidavit made it clear that he registered at Ogidigben Ward of Warri and displayed his temporary membership card issued to him by the leaders at the ward, a claim that was not challenged by the plaintiff.

“From the totality of the claims and reliefs sought by the plaintiff it is crystal clear that his case revolves around party membership which in my view and in view of plethora of decisions of the Supreme Court, fall within the internal affairs of a political party, and it is therefore outside the purview of this court to go into.

“I therefore do not hesitate to hold the view that the case of the plaintiff falls squarely in the internal affairs of the APC.”

Consequently, Justice Umar held that the case of the plaintiff was lacking in merit, and as a result, dismissed it.
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Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential and vice presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso have met with the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson amid the crisis rocking the OK Movement.

DAILY POST reports that OK Movement, a coalition of the Kwankwassiyya and Obidient Movement, was recently plunged into serious leadership crisis with factions emerging.

Members of the movement and supporters of the Obi and Kwankwaso ticket have been worried over the situation as the 2027 general elections draw near.

Senator Dickson in a post on his official Facebook page, confirmed the meeting with Obi and Kwankwaso in his Abuja residence.

According to him, the meeting focused on “positive state of affairs of our party and to prepare for the forthcoming campaigns, which are expected to commence later this month”.

In the post, the NDC leader called on “all members, supporters and stakeholders of our great party to unite, remain steadfast and work together for victory for all candidates of our party”.
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