A constitutional and civil rights lawyer Angus Chukwuka has faulted the People’s Democratic party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly removing the name of the embedded lawmaker Farah Dagogo from the primaries in Rivers State governorship election.
You would recall that recently, a gubernatorial aspirant of the 2023 general election in Rivers State Farah Dagogo has taken the People’s Democratic party (PDP) to court for allegedly removing his name from the primaries list in the state governorship election. Farah Dagogo a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in seeking an order of the high court to restrain INEC or any of its offices or agents from monitoring the conduct of the PDP primary election for the gubernatorial position for Rivers State scheduled for the 26th of May, 2022.
The federal lawmaker said his primary form was issued to him by the People’s Democratic party (PDP) as a proof that he has met all the requirements required of him as an aspirant by the national headquarters of the party before he was taking away by some policemen led by the camp Commandant of Government House DSP Efeture Irikefe when he presented himself for screening last month. He was arrested for allegedly sponsoring a gang of cultist to disrupt the screening of state and federal assembly candidate of the PDP.
The constitutional lawyer Angus Chukwuka in an interview with our reporters said that Farah Dagogo’s legal action against INEC and the PDP for excluding his name from the party primaries is very reasonable in the circumstance and it is quite consistent with legal reasoning. He therefore advised Fara Dagogo that since he has file a suit, he shouldn’t do anything which will subvert the process of the law. He should reason with his lawyer, show that the exclusion was unjust and unlawful. Adding that a successful argument on this will result in his name being included.
The Civil Rights lawyer however advised the People’s Democratic party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to avoid issues that may lead to litigations after the 2023 general elections. He said while the suit is still pending in court, it is also advisable for PDP and INEC not to take any further step in the process but allow the court to decide the matter. He further explained that if the People’s Democratic party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should conduct the election or take steps which will completely frustrate Farah Dagogo’s chances of contesting in the election, the implication will be that the outcome of that election could be declared null and void.
