A governorship aspirant of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers, Bernard Mikko has asked the court to disqualify the party’s governorship candidate for the state’s 2023 governorship election, Tonye Cole.

Mikko in the lawsuit is seeking to restrain Tonye Cole from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC arguing his emergence did not comply with the Electoral Act and was fraught with irregularities.

Mikko, who joined the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, also alleged that Cole is of questionable character as was allegedly indicted in a Rivers Government gazette issued after an investigation by the State Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the sale of government assets.

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In her ruling, Justice Phoebe Ayua granted the motion raised by Mikko’s lawyer to serve the defendants through substituted means.

The Judge adjourned to the 8th of July, 2022 for reports of service and a hearing on an application for joinder by the lawyer to Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, another APC governorship Aspirant.

Our Correspondent reports that Mikko scored two votes and came fifth, while Ojukaye Flag Amachree came second during the Rivers APC governorship primary won by Cole.