Labour Party to join suit seeking PDP’S disqualification in Enugu

A’court will restore Edeoga as party’s guber candidate, says Ezea

THE Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) faces a major legal test to its ability to contest the 2023 general elections in Enugu State, following application by the Labour Party ( LP) to join a suit seeking the disqualification of PDP candidates in the state from participating in the elections.

The suit is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) and PDP from fielding candidates for positions in the 2023 polls, including governorship, senatorial, the House of Representatives and the state House of Assembly.

The suit, which was originally brought against PDP by the Action Democratic Congress ( ADC) senatorial candidate for Enugu North Senatorial District, Chika Idoko, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has been transferred to the Federal High Court, Enugu. It is slated for hearing tomorrow, November 24, 2022.

Labour Party’s Motion for Joinder, according to court filings made on its behalf by Chukwudei Igwe, Emeka Abba, Helen Ugwu, and

Oluseyi Adegbejo, was brought pursuant to Order 26 rules 1 and 2, Order 9 rule 14 ( 2) ( b) of the Federal High Court of Nigeria ( Civil Procedure) Rules 2019. The motion states that as a political party, “Labour Party is an interested party in the suit, having interest in the elections.”

Listed as respondents in the suit No FHC/ EN/ CS/ 217/ 22 are the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), the governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections in the state, Peter

Mbah, senatorial candidate of the party for Enugu North senatorial district, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as well as all senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the party in the state.

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N a related development, the Enugu North Senatorial candidate of Labour Party, Dr. Okey Ezea, said, yesterday, that the party is hopeful that the governorship candidacy of Chijioke Edeoga would be restored at the Court of Appeal, explaining that the party would stop at nothing in winning the 2023 elections in Enugu State.