By:Felix Ikpotor
It seems the Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike might be contesting the governorship of the state alone as the only perceived remaining stronger candidate Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord Party is now emerged in another rpound of crisis following his nomination as flag-bearer of the party.
This is even as Sir Precious Baridoo has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt to declare him the authentic governorship candidate of the party.
Port Harcourt Spectator recalls that the Federal High Cpourt in Port Harcourt had on Monday, barred the All Progressives Congress, APC, from fielding any candidate in the elections.
In a suit at the Federal High Court on Tuesday, Sir Precious Baridoo told the court that he was duly nominated during the party’s governorship primaries on October 4, 2018 before he was illegally substituted with the name of Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs who he said didn’t participate in the party’s governorship primaries.
Baridoo stated that Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs cannot claim to be the governorship candidate of Accord Party when he was not even a member of the party as at the time the primaries were conducted.
Counsel to Baridoo, Mr Wori Wori told journalists outside the court shortly after the case was mentioned that Lulu-Briggs and another politician who are not members of the party allegedly substituted the name of the plaintiff without following due process.
He said contrary to claims by Lulu Briggs, Sir Precious Baridoo did not withdraw as the nominated candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State.
“When the plaintiff realised this plot, he approached the court to seek redress. The plaintiff maintains that Dumo Lulu Briggs is not a member of the Accord Party, never participated in the Governorship primaries and did not win the primaries because he did not participate.
“Therefore, Dumo Lulu Briggs cannot purport to be a candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State “, Wori Wori said.
The counsel further regretted that Lulu Briggs has been dodging from court officials since the matter was filed, hence he has not been served.
The plaintiff therefore applied for substituted service on him, which was granted by Justice Abba Obile of Court 2, Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.
On her part, counsel to Accord Party, Charity Ibezim said that the party has filed preliminary objection challenging the suit.
The court adjourned the matter to January 17, 2019 for definite hearing of the suit on who will represent Accord Party as Governorship Candidate in Rivers State.
Lulu-Briggs who was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC decamped to the Accord Party after he lost Tonye Cole in the indirect primaries conducted by the now voided executive council of the party led by Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.
