Orlu State Constituency:
Fear grips PDP candidate, Pascal Okolie
v Files frivolous suit against Labour Party candidate
Apparently ratted by the overwhelming popularity and mass acceptance of Comrade Precious Nwadike, Labour Party candidate for Orlu State constituency right from the time he declared his intention to contest the 2023 election, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Pascal Okolie who is currently serving his first tenure as lawmaker for Orlu LGA, has approached the Federal High court to disqualify Nwadike on what many have referred to as frivolous grounds that do not hold water.
According to a source at the Federal High Court, Owerrri, the Suit with No: FHC/OW/ES/33/2022 is scheduled to come up any time this month.
An Owerri based lawyer who does not want his name in print told this Reporter that he went to court in respect of some issues he is handling when he sighted the suit and noticed that the parties involved had not yet been served.
The legal luminary further stated that Hon Pascal Okolie is not a member of Labour Party and as such does not have the locus standi to challenge the candidacy of Precious Nwadike, who is in another party.
He said, “relying on the Section that provides that political parties should submit their registers 30 days before their respective primaries lacks merit, considering the fact that the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, provides for freedom of association. Besides, the political parties are at liberty to grant waiver to any person they feel has what it takes to win election and has contributed enough to the growth and sustenance of the party.
He described the suit as a mere academic exercise, pointing out that Comrade Nwadike is not the only person who dumped the PDP for Labour Party. He wondered why Nwadike’s defection to Labour Party should be singled out for scrutiny.
According to him, Peter Obi had purchased the presidential nomination form of the PDP. When he noticed that the party was more interested in promoting money politics instead of paying attention to the wish of the people he dumped the party and joined Labour Party
A chieftain of the PDP in Orlu Local Government Area (namewitheld) who said that he got the hint about Pascal Okolie’s plot to approach the court revealed that Pascal Okolie told him that he understands the suit lacks merit, but the idea behind it is to distract Comrade Precious Nwadike, who from all indications is giving the incumbent lawmaker for Orlu State Constituency sleepless nights.
“It was also gathered that before the suit was filed, Pascal Okolie’s lawyer told him that the period within which he should initiate the suit had elapsed. But Okolie, out of desperation told him to go ahead as his primary interest is to distract and make Nwadike who is his major opponent to spend more money from his personal savings while he uses money meant for constituency projects which they said he allegedly sells off to contractors and monthly allowances from Imo state House of Assembly”.
Most leaders, stakeholders and political pundits in Orlu LGA have condemned Okolie’s unbridled desperation which prompted him to institute such a frivolous suit against Nwadike who they described as the people’s choice.
