A Federal High Court in Abakaliki, struck out a suit seeking to invalidate the November 1, 2014 congress of the Peoples Democratic Party leading to the party’s primary that produced Governor Dave Umahi as its candidate for the April 11 governorship election in Ebonyi State.

However, a former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, had approached Justice Maureen Oyetenu, challenging the PDP congress and the primary that Umahi won. He claimed that the PDP’s governorship primary conducted on November 8, 2014 did not comply with the Electoral Act.

In a judgment on Tuesday, Chukwu’s suit was struck out, in that the failure of the former Health minister to participate in the said primary robbed him of the locus standi to challenge the legality of same.

The judge, however, faulted the argument of Umahi’s counsel, Chief Offordile Okafor (SAN), that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit. However, the judge claimed the court was competent to entertain complaints from a party’s primary conducted in breach of due process.

After the court’s verdict, Okafor’s correspondence said it was victory for democracy.

However, the counsel who appeared for Chukwu in court on Tuesday, Nnaemeka Ajiukwu, said his client was going to appeal the judgment.