On Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a lawsuit brought by Senator Ned Nwoko aimed at disqualifying former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Delta North Senatorial District. Justice Mohammed Umar ruled that the case was fundamentally flawed and incompetent from the start.
The legal dispute, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1062/2026, was initially filed by Mr. Nwoko through a representative described as his attorney, Dr. Mike Nwoko. Although the senator later attempted to amend the filing to indicate that he was the person bringing the action himself, the court rejected the request.
Justice Umar concluded that the right to challenge a party primary is a personal statutory privilege granted to the participating aspirant. Citing the 1999 Constitution and the 2026 Electoral Act, the court determined that such actions cannot be delegated to an agent or power of attorney. Because the lawsuit was effectively initiated in a representative capacity, it lacked the necessary legal standing under current electoral laws.
Furthermore, the judge explained that a proceeding which is legally void from its inception cannot be saved by an amendment. Since the original filing failed to meet the statutory requirements, the court lacked the jurisdiction to proceed. Consequently, the application to amend the paperwork was denied, and the substantive lawsuit was struck out.
