Court Disqualifies Rivers APC Guber Candidate

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers state for the 2023 general election, Mr. Tonye Cole has been disqualified.

This verdict was passed by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt,
the State capital

Tonye Cole was disqualified over dual citizenship.

Mr. Cole is said to be a British citizen.

The court also ruled that the APC did not comply with the Electoral Act in the election that brought in Mr Cole as the candidate of the party.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had asked the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise Mr Cole as the governorship candidate of the APC for alleged dual citizenship.

PDP, the ruling party in the state, also said that the the delegate election that brought the APC candidate did not follow due process, having not been monitored by INEC.

In his ruling, the judge, Emmanuel Obile, agreed with the PDP that Mr Cole is not eligible to contest governorship position.

Justice Obile ordered INEC to delist Mr Cole from the list of eligible candidates for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

Speaking to reporters, counsel to the PDP, Dike Udenna, expressed happiness over the court ruling, saying the APC would not field any candidate in 2023 in the state.

On his part, counsel to the APC, Collins Dike, said the APC would appeal the judgment.

He said the constitution of Nigeria allows Mr Cole to contest the governorship election, having been born in Nigeria.

“Mr Cole voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the United Kingdom,” Mr Dike said, insisting that the dual citizenship does not prevent him taking part in the election.