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By Davies Iheamnachor, PORT HARCOURT

The governorship candidate of the Accord party in Rivers State, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was afraid of an open contest in the 2023 general election.

This was as the PDP had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Accord and some candidates of the party to court seeking the disqualification of the candidates.

PDP in the suit is challenging the conduct of the primaries of the Accord, praying the court to compel INEC not to recognise the candidates, who are mainly that of National Assembly seats.

In the suit, PDP is the plaintiff, while INEC (first defendant) Accord  (second defendant), while some named chieftains of the party stand as 3rd to 16th defendants.

Trial judge, Justice Dalyop Pam, had granted the request for extension of time to enable parties regularise their processes and adjourned till July 29, 2022, for definite hearing on the matter.

But, reacting to this, Lulu-Briggs described the move by the PDP as meddlesomeness, adding that the PDP was afraid of going to polls with candidates of the Accord party.