Reps candidate drags SDP, INEC to court over plot to substitute his name

THE candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the Warri Federal Constituency in 2019 general elections, Chief Monday Keme, has dragged his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to a Warri Federal High Court to halt alleged plot to substitute his name with that of a failed sitting member of the House.

Keme had earlier raised the alarm over the suspected foul play by some leaders of the SDP to substitute his name with that of a current member of the lower chamber who had never been a member nor part of the party’s primary.

The candidate emerged unopposed during the SDP’s primary which held in the state as the only aspirant.

In the matter he has instituted at the Warri Federal High Court, with suit number FCH/WR/CS/119/2018, which has the SDP and INEC as the first and second defendants, Keme sought that the court declares him the candidate of the SDP for the Warri Federal Constituency in the 2019 elections.

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He also sought orders of perpetual injunction to restrain his party, the SDP, from submitting any other name as the candidate of the constituency to INEC and to restrain the umpire from accepting or recognising any other name as a candidate of the SDP for the constituency for next year’s elections.

The court has, however, fixed January 22, 2019, for hearing of the suit.

Meanwhile, the writ of summons filed by Keme’s counsels, U. K Gbenebitse, Esq of T.C Williams & Co., has ordered the defendants to respond to the summons by causing an appearance to be entered in the suit.

The suit, in its prayers, requested “a declaration that the Plaintiff is the validly nominated candidate for the 1st Defendant’s ticket for Warri Federal Constituency into the House of Representatives in the 2019 general elections.

“An order compelling the 1st Defendant to submit the name of the Plaintiff to the 2nd Defendant as the candidate of the 1st Defendant for the 2019 general elections of the Warri Federal Constituency into the House of Representatives.

“An Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from submitting any other name/candidate to the 2nd Defendant as the candidate of the 1st Defendant for the 2019 general elections for Warri Federal Constituency into the House of Representatives.

“An Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant from accepting/recognising any other name/candidate of the 1st Defendant from the 1st Defendant for the Warri Federal Constituency into the House of Representatives.”