The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to disqualify former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Anthony Akpata as the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the September 21 election.
The appellate Court held that the suit instituted by an aggrieved governorship aspirant, Kenneth Imasuangbon lacked cogent and verifiable evidence in the allegations against Akpata.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the Court of Appeal held among others, that Imasuangbon failed to explore the inter-conflict resolution mechanism of the Labour Party before rushing to Court.
Subsequently, the Court held that his case was premature in law and could not be entertained on the ground that conditions precedents were not met.
The unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel of Justices also held that the appellant failed to tender the disputed results of the February 23 primary election of the party which he claimed to have won.
Justice Abang said the claim of Imasuangbon that he was not given official results by the Labour Party cannot hold water because he had his agent at the primary election.