Court Rejects Suit Against Kantigi as Niger PDP Governorship Candidate

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the nomination of Liman Isa Kantigi as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State in next year’s election

Justice Zainab Abubakar yesterday held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, which was filed before the cause of action could crystallise.

The suit was filed by Idris Mohammed Sani, who challenges the decision by the PDP to clear Kantigi to contest the party’s primary, claiming that he (Kantigi) submitted false documents.

Justice Abubakar held that the suit, being a pre-election case, was not well constituted having been filed before the cause of action crystallised.

The judge noted that the suit was filed before the primary was conducted, adding that the plaintiff ought to wait for the primary to hold and then sue within 14 days as required by the constitution.

Justice Abubakar held that the court would have assumed jurisdiction over the case had the plaintiff challenged the actual conduct of the primary election.