BY CHIJIOKE ASOGWA
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, has dismissed a suit filed by Chidi Okoye challenging the nomination of Senator Victor Umeh as the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Anambra Central Senatorial District ahead of the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.
The suit challenged Umeh’s nomination following the party’s primary election conducted on May 29, 2026.
Delivering the judgment Wednesday, the court ruled that among other reasons, the dispute concerned internal affairs of a political party and was therefore not justiciable.
The court upheld Umeh’s nomination as the NDC candidate for Anambra Central Senatorial District, stating that its decision was based on the preponderance of evidence before it.
According to the court’s position, the dispute fell within the internal affairs of the political party, a matter the court held was not justiciable.
Recall that Umeh emerged as the NDC candidate for Anambra Central following the party’s primary election held on May 29, 2026, which subsequently became the subject of the legal challenge.
The ruling represents a judicial outcome in the dispute over the party’s nomination of Umeh for the forthcoming National Assembly election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
