Kas Nwogu
The Court of Appeal sitting in Yenagoa has granted the application of stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Obili of the federal high court, Port Harcourt which asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to substitute the name of Dumo Lulu-Briggs with that of Precious Baridoo as the Accord Party’s gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State.
The Federal High Court had on February 28 declared that Mr Precious Baridoo who was duly nominated during October 4, 2018, Accord Party Governorship primary is the authentic candidate of the party.
Justice Emmanuel Obile declared that Mr Dumo Lulu Briggs cannot participate in the Governorship Election because he was not duly nominated at the party’s primary.
Justice Obile stated that Lulu Briggs did not participate in the party’s October 4, 2018 Governorship primary, hence he cannot be their candidate.
The Court stated that the defendant failed to challenge the affidavit of the plaintiff to controvert the facts contained therein.
Justice Obile ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enlist the name of Precious Baridoo as the Rivers State Governorship Candidate of Accord Party.
The court also directed INEC to remove the name of Dumo Lulu Briggs as the Rivers State Governorship Candidate for Accord Party.
However, Justice A. Lamido of the Court of Appeal, Yenagoa, ruling this afternoon, in an application brought before him by Wilcox Abereton SAN, the lead counsel to Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, granted the application for a stay of execution and further granted an injunction restraining Mr Precious Baridoo from parading himself as the Rivers Accord governorship candidate.
By this ruling, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs remains the INEC recognized Rivers State governorship candidate of Accord Party and the person whose name was legally submitted to INEC by the National Working Committee of Accord.
