Senator Nwoko to Appeal Court Ruling on Okowa's Candidacy

Senator Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta) has announced his intention to appeal a Federal High Court ruling that dismissed his lawsuit challenging the senatorial candidacy of Ifeanyi Okowa. Nwoko's legal team released a statement on Monday in Abuja, characterizing the court's decision as unfortunate and expressing strong confidence that the Court of Appeal will overturn it.

Nwoko asserted that the High Court struck out the suit rather than dismissing it on its merits. He argued that the court's ruling did not address the substantive issues of the case, which he contends have not yet been properly examined. The senator claimed the court had previously granted him permission to amend his legal documents, only to later revoke that order on its own initiative, describing this action as an unjustified attempt to obstruct the main suit at an early stage.

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We have instructed our counsel to file an appeal immediately and are confident that the appellate court will overturn it.

"This is an attempt to sabotage the substantive suit at this preliminary stage, and the suit must be heard on its merits," Nwoko stated, reaffirming his commitment to pursuing the appeal. He emphasized his dedication to ensuring justice is served and reiterated his principles of equity, transparency, party unity, and the overall progress of Delta State.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, had upheld the defense's arguments that Nwoko's suit was fundamentally flawed and incompetent from its inception. The judge agreed that the originating summons could not be amended as requested by the claimant. The court's decision was based on constitutional and electoral act provisions stipulating that only an aspirant who participated in a party primary has the personal statutory right to initiate a pre-election suit, a right that cannot be delegated.

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This is an attempt to sabotage the substantive suit at this preliminary stage, and the suit must be heard on its merits.