Finally, No Rivers APC Candidates in 2019 Elections as Supreme Court Upholds Judgment Nullifying  Primaries

Nigeria’s apex court, the Supreme Court finally sealed any hope of All Progressive Congress (APC) candidates featuring in the 2019 elections except the Presidential. At the hearing presided by Justice Mohammed Dattijo on Friday, the Court dismissed Appeal Court judgement  and upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court.

A five-man panel of Justices of the Supreme Court has issued a judgment upholding the nullification of the primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

On January 7, 2019, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, nullified the primaries conducted by the two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State. In the judgment, the court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from presenting Tonye Cole, Magnus Abe and other candidates of the APC in the 2019 governorship election in the state.

However, on February 4, 2019, the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt granted stay of execution of the Federal High Court’s judgement.

Sequel to that the Cole APC faction had taken the case to the Supreme Court.

At the hearing presided by Justice Mohammed Dattijo on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the suit, and upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court