By  IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja
The Senatorial ambition of a former member of the House of Representatives, Prince Ned Nwoko, came crashing down yesterday after Federal High Court, Abuja,  nullified his candidacy, citing invalid nomination by the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP.

The Court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognizing him as candidate of the party in today’s election because according to it, his nomination was in violation of section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010.

Consequently, the court directed the electoral body to erase his name from the list of candidates in Delta North Senatorial District, and replace it with that of Jude Azekwoh, who had approached the High Court for redress.

Delivering judgment on the matter yesterday, Justice Adamu Bello, said the party by-passed the due process of the law by substituting the plaintiff, Azekwoh, with Nwoko who it said did not even purchase the party’s nomination form.

The Judge held that the plaintiff being the only DPP aspirant that purchased the party’s nomination form for the said district, ought to have his name submitted to the INEC as the qualified candidate of the party.

Justice Bello noted that whereas the plaintiff adduced sufficient proof of evidence showing that he picked his nomination form for the party’s primaries held on January 14, but that the 3rd defendant, Nwoko, failed to convince the court on how his name got to INEC as the authentic candidate of the party for the said Senatorial District.

“The 3rd defendant (Nwoko), having not purchased the 1st defendant’s nomination form for the April 2011 election and paid the prescribed nomination fees, was not eligible to contest, or be returned as the 1st defendant’s candidate for the election.