COURT DISQUALIFIES APC GOV CANDIDATE, TONYE COLE IN RIVERS

November 24, 2022

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DAMI . L

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has disqualified the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, on Thursday.

Grounds for the court decision include Cole’s voluntary dual citizenship of the United Kingdom and pledging allegiance to same and for not being duly nominated by the APC as well as not following due process as enshrined in the new electoral act.

Justice Emmanuel Obile, in his judgment, ruled that the APC did not comply with the Electoral Act that brought in Cole as the candidate of the party.

The PDP had approached the court to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognize Tonye Cole as the governorship candidate of APC for alleged dual citizenship and that the delegate election that brought him did not follow due process having not been monitored by INEC.

He also agreed with the PDP that Tonye Cole is not eligible to contest governorship position.

He thereafter, directed INEC to delist the name of Tonye Cole from the list of eligible candidates for the 2023 Governorship election.