A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed a suit challenging the emergence of Dumo Lulu-Briggs as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after the plaintiff withdrew the case.
The suit was filed by Kings Unyeawaji, an NDC governorship aspirant, against the party, its chairman, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Lulu-Briggs. He alleged that he was excluded from the party’s governorship primary and sought to nullify Lulu-Briggs’ nomination.
Counsel to Lulu-Briggs, Ibim Dokubo, challenged both the court’s jurisdiction and the plaintiff’s locus standi.
Dokubo argued that Unyeawaji lacked the legal standing to institute the suit because he did not participate in the governorship primary. He also contended that the action was statute-barred, having been filed outside the 14-day period prescribed by law for disputes arising from party primaries.
When the matter came up before Justice Muhammed Turaki, counsel to the plaintiff applied to discontinue the suit. The application was not opposed by the defendants, prompting the court to dismiss the case.
Reacting to the development, Lulu-Briggs welcomed the withdrawal of the suit and commended the plaintiff for allowing the matter to end amicably.
“I thank him for allowing the matter to rest. My hope is that in 2027, everyone who contests the election will accept the outcome in good faith.
“We are all Rivers people. There are no monsters among us. Let us go to the field, contest on a level playing ground and allow the people to decide,” he said.
Lulu-Briggs said Rivers State would benefit if political actors embraced peaceful competition and respected the outcome of democratic processes.
He also expressed confidence in his vision for the state, pledging that if elected governor, he would pursue policies aimed at transforming Rivers State and driving economic growth.
