By Kenneth Orusi,
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Marvis Ossai seeking to unseat Senator Ned Munir Nwoko over his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, March 19, Justice A.H. Musa ruled that the case was incompetent, lacking in merit, and beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
The suit sought to nullify Senator Nwoko’s Certificate of Return and declare the Delta North Senatorial seat vacant due to his party switch. However, the court ruled that the claimant, Marvis Ossai, had no locus standi (legal right) to institute the case, rendering the lawsuit legally void.
In a firm decision, the judge dismissed the suit outright, rather than striking it out, effectively preventing any further attempts to revive the matter on similar grounds.
The ruling marks a decisive victory for Senator Nwoko, whose legal team successfully argued that the case was baseless and that no constitutional breach had been established to warrant judicial intervention.
This judgment delivers a significant legal setback to opposition forces seeking to challenge Nwoko’s seat through the courts, reinforcing the constitutional safeguards protecting the tenure of elected officials.
