From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has struck out a suit by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the eligibility of Accord, its governorship candidate and running mate to contest the 2023 general elections in Rivers State for lack of jurisdiction.
Presiding judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam,  in a separate suit, on Tuesday, also struck out PDP’s suit against all the National Assembly candidates of Accord for lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Daylop-Pam, in his judgement did not bother to go into the merit of the matter, but based his judgement on the recent decision of  Court of Appeal in Lagos and Rivers States, which declared that no court has jurisdiction to hear a case filed by another political party on a matter bordering on internal party affairs.
The judge insisted that any attempt by him to interfere in the matter after an appellate court had taken decision on the similar matter would amount to him being tagged a rascal and thereby upheld the objections of the counsels for the defendants and struck out the suits by PDP.
Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, Benjamin Omeje and Joy Nunieh, who represented Accord, the governorship candidate, its running mate and National Assembly candidates, said the judgement was victory to Accord and democracy.
On his part, the governorship candidate of Accord, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, expressed happiness that justice was not denied at last.
He  said the court had put a stop to every meddlesomeness of PDP into another political party’s affairs.