Court voids Edo PDP guber primaries

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State.

Presiding judge Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgement on Thursday, July 4, 2024, held that the PDP’s primary election held on February 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, the guidelines for the conduct of the poll, and the party’s constitution.

Justice Ekwo, who said the exhibit tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.

The judge declared that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome of the primary election

He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, were against the provisions of the law.

Justice Ekwo held that, though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 1st defendant, filed a memorandum of appearance in the suit, it was unfortunate that the commission did not file any process in the case.

According to the judge, the 1st defendant counsel only said it would be bound by the decision of the court.

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“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” Justice Ekwo declared.

Three aggrieved ad-hoc delegates, on behalf of the 378 others, had sued INEC, PDP, its national secretary and the vice chairman, South-South as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024 dated February 7 and filed February 8, the plaintiffs sought two orders.

These include an order for the defendants or their agents not to act but to show cause why the reliefs of the plaintiffs in their originating summons should not be granted with regard to the plan of the 2nd, 3^rd, and 4th defendants to exclude them and 378 other delegates, whose names and election results are contained in “Exhibits BID 8A to 8L”, from participating in the primaries.

The plaintiffs, including Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa, and Ederaho Osagie, on behalf of others in 12 Local Government Areas and 127 Wards, said it would be in the interest of justice for their reliefs to be granted.

The 381 delegates are loyalists of the impeached deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, who also contested the gubernatorial primary election.

The Star