Baridoo Asks Court To Declare Him As Rivers Accord Party Governorship Candidate, To Stop Lulu Briggs

The crisis rocking Accord Party in Rivers State has taken a new dimension as Sir Precious Baridoo has asked the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt to declare him the authentic governorship candidate of the party.

In a suit at the Federal High Court on Tuesday, Sir Precious Baridoo told the court that he was duly nominated during the party’s governorship primaries on October 4, 2018 before he was illegally substituted with the name of Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs who didn’t participate in the party’s governorship primaries.

He stated that Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs cannot claim to be the governorship candidate of Accord Party when he was not even a member of the party.

Counsel to Sir Precious Baridoo, Mr Wori Wori told journalists after the case was mentioned that Chief Lulu-Briggs and another politician who are not members of Accord Party allegedly substituted the name of the plaintiff without following due process.

The counsel said contrary to claims by Dumo Lulu Briggs, Sir Precious Baridoo did not withdraw as the nominated candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State.

“When the plaintiff realised this plot, he approached the court to seek redress. The plaintiff maintains that Dumo Lulu Briggs is not a member of the Accord Party, never participated in the Governorship primaries and did not win the primaries because he did not participate.

“Therefore, Dumo Lulu Briggs cannot purport to be a candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State “, Wori Wori said.

The counsel to Accord Party regretted that Dumo Lulu Briggs has been dodging from court officials since the matter was filed, hence he has not been served.

The plaintiff applied for substituted service on Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs, which was granted by Justice Abba Obile of Court 2, Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.

In an interview, Counsel to Accord Party, Charity Ibezim said that the party has filed preliminary objection challenging the suit.

The court adjourned the matter to January 17, 2019 for definite hearing of the suit on who will represent Accord Party as Governorship Candidate in Rivers State.