Defection: Court Dismisses Suit Seeking To Sack Senator Nwoko, Declares Claimant Has No Legal Standing

By Kenneth Orusi

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Marvis Ossai seeking to unseat Senator Ned Munir Nwoko following his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, March 19, the court declared the case incompetent and lacking merit, asserting that it had no jurisdiction to entertain such a claim.

The suit, which was rejected outright, sought to nullify Senator Nwoko’s Certificate of Return and declare the Delta North Senatorial seat vacant on account of his switch in political allegiance.

However, Justice A.H. Musa, presiding over the matter, ruled that the claimant, Marvis Ossai, had no locus standi (legal right) to file the case, and that the lawsuit itself was fatally flawed and legally void.

In a decisive move, the judge dismissed the suit rather than merely striking it out, effectively barring any future resurrection of the case on similar frivolous grounds.

The ruling was a complete victory for Senator Nwoko, who had argued through his legal team that the court lacked the authority to adjudicate such political matters, particularly when no constitutional breach had been established.

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This judgment marks a significant legal setback for opposition elements seeking to challenge Nwoko’s seat through the courts, as the ruling reinforces the constitutional protections around the tenure of elected officials.

Kenneth Orusi, is the Publisher and Editor-in-chief of The Story and Chairman, ICC, Delta NUJ.