Rivers: Trouble For APC Guber Candidate As PDP Cite Dual Citizenship In Fresh Suit

Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a fresh suit seeking the disqualification of Tonye Cole as the governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections.

PDP, in a suit to be heard on November 24, 2022 before the Federal High Court 2, Port Harcourt, cited dual citizenship as the basis why Cole should be disqualified from the governorship race.

Respondents in the suit include the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others, Naija News understands.

PDP noted that the politician holds citizenship of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, his home country. The case is being presided over by Justice Emmanuel Obile of the Federal High Court 2, Port Harcourt.

The Spokesman for Tonye Cole/Innocent Barikor 2023 Campaign Council, Sogbeye C. Eli, noted in a press statement on Monday that the PDP has asked the Court to disqualify the APC candidate because someone with dual citizenship is not eligible to contest for an election in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that Justice Obile had, in a judgment on October 25, 2022, disqualified Tonye Cole and all candidates of the APC for the 2023 general elections in a suit filed by one George Orlu and others alleging that they were delegates of the party but were excluded at primaries by APC.

However, a panel of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt stopped INEC from giving effect to the judgment last Friday.

The court ordered the three sets of applicants to file their appellants’ briefs, granting them leave to appeal against the judgment.