Court Confirms Ereyitomi as APC Candidate for Warri

On Thursday, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed Chief Thomas Ereyitomi (Rep, Warri North/Warri South/Warri South West) as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Warri House of Representatives seat in the upcoming 2027 general election. The ruling came after a suit was filed by Dr. Ekpoto Emmanuel, another aspirant, who sought to nullify Ereyitomi's nomination, claiming he was a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress at the time of the May 16, 2026 primary election.

Emmanuel requested the court to disqualify Ereyitomi and declare him the lawful winner of the primary election. However, Justice Umar ruled that the issue of party membership is an internal matter for the APC and not subject to court intervention.

The judge noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was unaware of any dual party membership concerning Ereyitomi. Consequently, the court dismissed Emmanuel's case for lacking merit.