Court dismisses suit against Wada

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Wednesday dismissed a suit filed by Jibrin Isah Echocho asking the trial court to declare the swearing-in of Idris Wada as the governor of Kogi State invalid.
The winner of the January 2011 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, Jibrin Isah Echocho and a governorship aspirant, Oyebode Makinde, had concurrently instituted suits against Wada.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, presided over by Justice Zainab Bukalchuwa had remitted the case back to the trial court which dismissed the suit for being an abuse of court process and awarded the cost of N100, 000 against the plaintiff.
While delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Abdul Kafarati said Echocho lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit having not participated in the governorship election that brought Wada into power adding that the court also lacked the jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Justice Kafarati said it is a post-election matter which only the election tribunal can adjudicate upon since said telection took place in December and the action was filed in February.
Reacting to the judgment, the Special Adviser on Public Communication and Strategy to Echocho, Phrank Shaibu, said his boss will appeal the judgment stating that they will continue the struggle. Until they achieve victory.
“Our team of lawyers shall move to the higher courts at the shortest possible time and we are encouraged by the presence of the several fearless men and women of the Bench in our present day judiciary,” he said.
Source