An aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Rivers State House of Assembly seat representing Khana Constituency I, Legborsi Nwiabu, has dragged the party before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, alleging that he was unlawfully excluded from the party’s primary election.
Nwiabu is challenging the emergence of Bright Nulee, who was declared the ADC candidate for the constituency in the 2027 general election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also joined as a respondent in the suit.
At the hearing on Friday, counsel to the ADC, Emenike Ebete, informed the court that the party had constituted a committee to resolve disputes arising from the controversial primary. He orally applied for leave for the parties to explore an out-of-court settlement.
The request was not opposed by lawyers representing Bright Nulee and INEC. However, counsel to the plaintiff, Felix Beragbara, objected, arguing that his client had not been informed about the existence of such a committee.
After listening to all parties, the presiding judge, Justice Muhammed Turaki, granted leave for settlement discussions and adjourned the matter until August 12, 2026 for a report on the outcome or, if no settlement is reached, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Plaintiff Alleges Primary Never Held
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Beragbara alleged that the ADC failed to conduct the primary election scheduled for May 21, 2026, and later purportedly shifted it to May 22.
According to him, Nwiabu deployed agents and supporters to all 11 wards in Khana Constituency I, but no party officials or INEC monitors arrived to conduct or supervise the exercise.
“My client and his supporters waited from morning until night, but no ADC official came to conduct the election, and no INEC monitoring officer was present,”
Beragbara said his client subsequently petitioned the party’s appeals committee, requesting a fresh primary because the election never took place.
“Instead of conducting another election, the party allegedly declared Bright Nulee as its candidate and forwarded his name to INEC. That is why my client has approached the court to challenge the purported primary and the nomination,”
he added.
Counsel to the ADC, Bright Nulee and INEC declined to comment on the proceedings after the hearing.