The Federal High Court, sitting in Calabar, in a well considered judgment, struck out, the suit filed by Sen. Sandy Onor & PDP seeking to disqualify Hon. Peter Odey and Sen. Prince Bassey Otu from contesting the forth coming 2023 general elections.
The matter before Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of Court 2 in the Calabar Division of the Federal High Court highlighted six questions for resolution including whether the APC is eligible to participate in the 2023 gubernatorial elections in Cross River without presenting qualified Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates; whether Senator Otu and Honourable Odey are qualified to contest the gubernatorial elections; and whether INEC can publish Honourable Odey's name as deputy gubernatorial candidate of the APC which has in her affidavit in an appeal matter asserted that he is not their member.
Again, the plaintiffs (PDP Cross River and Onor) sought for determination, of whether Mr. Odey is not disqualified to contest as Deputy Gubernatorial candidate of the APC, having acquired citizenship in the United Kingdom (UK) and lied on oath that he did not do so; whether INEC can legally publish the second and third defendants as candidates if the first two questions are resolved in favour of the plaintiff and whether if any other question is resolved in the plaintiff's favour will mean that the second defendant is also disqualified from contesting in the 2023 general elections.
Counsel to the PDP, Mba Ukweni, SAN had prayed the court to, among other five relife, disqualify the APC gubernatorial candidate and his deputy who are the 2nd and 3rd defendants since it was a joint ticket.
In her ruling, presiding Judge Rosemary Oghoghorie, said that counsel to the plaintiff failed to convince the court enough to proof their case. She therefore struck off the matter.
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