Court affirms Thomas Ereyitomi as APC candidate for Warri House of Reps seat

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, as the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for the House of Representatives for the Warri federal constituency in 2027 general election. 

The Judge on Thursday dismissed a suit brought against him by another aspirant for the Constituency, Dr Ekpoto Emmanuel, challenging his nomination and the submission of his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. 

Dr Ekpoto Emmanuel, had in the suit prayed the Court to nullify the participation and emergence of Thomas Ereyitomi as the duly nominated candidate of the APC for the Warri Federal Constituency. 

Emmanuel’s grouse against Thomas Ereyitomi’s nomination by APC was that he was a member of the APC and the Nigeria Democracy Congress (NDC) at the time he stood for the May 16 primary election that produced him. 

The plaintiff urged the Court to disqualify Ereyitomi, who is the 3rd defendant in the suit and declare him, the lawful winner of the primary election having scored second highest votes in the primary poll. 

However, in his judgment, Justice Umar agreed with Ereyitomi, APC and  INEC that the case of the plaintiff was membership of a political party. 

The judge held that membership of a political party is an internal affair of the APC and cannot be looked into by any law court. 

Consequently, Justice Umar held that the case of the plaintiff was not justiciable, was lacking in merit and thereafter dismissed it.