Earlier today, The National Assembly Candidates of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State met at the state secretariat of the Party in Port Harcourt to demand that the judge handling the PDP’s case against them, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam recuses himself from handling the case.

Speaking for all the sixteen defendants in the PDP’s suit, except INEC, the candidate for Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency, EZEMONYE EZEKIEL-AMADI accused the Judge of having the tendency of being bias due to his relationship with the Peoples Democratic Party and its leader, Governor Nyesom Wike.

“It may not be possible for us as responsible citizens to publicly revel or divulge all we know about the relationship between Justice Pam and Governor Nyesom Wike, the leader of the PDP in Rivers State, as well as all that we know today, that transpired in the VAT case between the Rivers State Government and the FIRS”.

He said they “know that the the relationship between Justice Pam and Governor Wike is a lot deeper than just casual”, which is why it’s not surprising that all the suits filed by the PDP seeking to delist other political parties from the 2023 election ballots are assigned to the Judge.

They also accused Justice Daylop-Pam of “coming in contact with the State Legal Adviser of the PDP, Kingsley Chukwu in respect of the matter in court”.

The APC candidates said what is surprising to them is the seeming reluctance of the Judge to tow the simple part of honour and recuse himself from the matter.

They believe Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam has lost the morality to continue the case because, if the case is in their favour, it could be said that the judge was cowed by their stance and if the judgement is otherwise, it could be said that it was to punish them for asking him to recuse himself.

The candidates vowed to resist the judge from continuing the matter, even if it means them suffering a similar fate like that of the human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong who was imprisoned for one month by the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State for contempt.

When reached out to for comments over allegations by the APC candidates against the PDP and its leader, the Legal Adviser of the PDP in Rivers State, Kingsley Chukwu declined to speak, saying it will be subjudice to speak on a matter that is before the court.