Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

A Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday struck out another suit filed by Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress and others challenging the Federal High Court judgment that delisted him and other candidates of the party from participating in the governorship and state house of assembly election slated for Saturday March 9.

The Appeal Court panel, in a unanimous decision, struck out the suit for lack of merit, stating that they totally agree with the several earlier judgments delivered by other courts in the matter and will abide with the consequential orders of the Courts.

The Judges said going into the main would amount to a mere academic exercise. They also argued that reliance on the several comments on the matter will cause confusion on earlier well decided matters.

At the time of filing this report the appeal court has continued judgment filed by APC against the Federal High Court.

It will be recalled the courts, including the Supreme Court, had in previous judgments disqualified and ordered INEC to delist Tonye Cole and others APC candidates from Rivers State from the ballot papers for national, state assembly and governorship elections.

Unless something remarkable happens, Governor Nyesom Wike of PDP maybe contesting the Saturday March 9 elections without strong opponents as other candidates are contesting under not too popular political parties.