Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has affirmed Chief Thomas Ereyitomi as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the House of Representatives for the Warri Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election. The judge, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, August 6, 2026, dismissed a suit brought against him by another aspirant for the constituency, Dr Ekpoto Emmanuel, who had challenged Ereyitomi's nomination and the submission of his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Emmanuel had prayed the court to nullify Ereyitomi's participation and emergence as the duly nominated candidate of the APC for the Warri Federal Constituency. His grievance against Ereyitomi's nomination by the APC was that Ereyitomi was a member of both the APC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) at the time he stood for the May 16, 2026, primary election that produced him. The plaintiff urged the court to disqualify Ereyitomi, who was the 3rd defendant in the suit, and declare him the lawful winner of the primary election, having scored the second highest votes in the primary poll.
However, in his judgment, Justice Umar agreed with Ereyitomi, the APC, and INEC that the case of the plaintiff was fundamentally about membership of a political party. The judge held that membership of a political party is an internal affair of the APC and cannot be looked into by any law court. Consequently, Justice Umar held that the case of the plaintiff was not justiciable, lacking in merit, and thereafter dismissed it.
The ruling effectively clears the path for Ereyitomi to represent the APC in the 2027 general election for the Warri Federal Constituency. The court's decision underscores the principle that disputes regarding party membership and primary elections are typically considered internal matters of political parties, which courts are generally reluctant to intervene in unless there is a clear violation of the law or electoral guidelines. Ereyitomi, who is currently a member of the House of Representatives, had won the APC primary election in May 2026, securing victory across all 32 federal wards in the Warri Federal Constituency. The affirmation by the Federal High Court now solidifies his position as the party's flagbearer for the upcoming election.
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