Bernard, who was also an aspirant in the APC governorship primaries conducted on the 24th of May 2022 is seeking an order of the court restraining and to disqualify Tonye Cole as the Governorship Candidate of the APC for alleged non-compliance with electoral act and alleged questionable character as contained in white paper report of Rivers State commission of inquiry.
When the matter was mentioned in court, counsel to Ojukaye Flagg-Amachree, Olusegun Olaowo who is a senior Advocate of Nigeria informed the court of his client application to be joined in the suit due to his interest in the party.
He told the court that if the substantive suit challenging the primary election, is allowed without joining his client, it will affect his client who came second in the primary.
Today FM’s Uchendu Ejiowhor reports that while counsel to Tonye-Cole, Godwin Omoaka and that of APC, Emenike Ebete did not oppose the application for joinder, counsel to the plaintiff, Usman Suleiman, opposed the application.
Suleiman in his counter affidavit argued that defendant lacks the locus to join in the suit after missing the 14days period to file the suit after the election.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Ayuah Phoebe after listening to the arguments, adjourned till 29th of August, 2022 for ruling on the application for joinder.
