Court sends Rivers PDP guber aspirant back to correctional facility

  A high court in Rivers on Monday, May 16, scheduled Friday, May 20, for the hearing of a bail application filed by Farah Dagogo, a gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

In its ruling on Monday, the court ordered Dagogo, a member of the House of Representatives, to be returned to the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre.

 Governor Wike (Photo: @GovWike) Source: Twitter

The verdict was read by the presiding judge, Justice Chinwendu Nworgu.

Earlier, it was reported that Dagogo had been arrested by the police.

The arrest was made barely 24 hours after Governor Nyesom Wike accused Dagogo of sponsoring the attack on the PDP's secretariat in the state and declared him wanted.

Dagogo, who represents Degema-Bonny Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, was arrested at the PDP zonal secretariat in Port Harcourt.

Governor Wike had alleged that Dagogo sent suspected cultists to attack the secretariat during the screening of National Assembly and State House of Assembly aspirants. 

Dagogo, however, denied the allegation.   He said he was never at the PDP Secrtariat where aspirants for National and State Assembly were being screened since he is a governorship aspirant. 

Supreme Court to hear suit by Buhari, Malami Thursday

 

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for May 19 in the suit by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation) AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The scheduling is not only reflected in the court’s case list for the week but it was gathered that parties have since been served hearing notices.

The plaintiffs are contending among others, that the said section of the Electoral Act 2022 is in conflict with constitutional provisions.

Section 84(12) has been a subject of intense litigation and political debate in Nigeria since President Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act 2022 into law. Photo credit: Femi Adesina Source: Facebook

They noted that the Constitution has made provisions for qualifications and disqualifications for the offices of the President and Vice President, Governor and Deputy-Governor, Senate and House of Representatives, and House of Assembly, Ministers, Commissioners and Special Advisers.

Buhari and Malami added that the same Constitution has equally “the qualifying factors for election into the office of President, Vice President. Governor, Deputy Governor, Senate, House of Representatives, Houses of Assembly and Ministers.”

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, vacated the judgment of the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia state, which voided the provision of section 84(12) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices led by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, held that the high court acted without jurisdiction.