Court Declares Edo PDP Governorship Primaries Invalid – TrendyNewsReporters

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party governorship primaries held on February 22, 2024, which resulted in the candidacy of Asue Ighodalo, are invalid.

The court issued its judgment in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024, filed by the aggrieved delegates, particularly Kelvin Mohammed, acting as representatives, today, July 4.

The judge annulled the primaries, arguing that 378 delegates, who were supposed to vote, had been unlawfully excluded from the PDP, in violation of the law.

The court also found that there were acts of gross violation of the 2022 electoral law, PDP guidelines and party statutes during the conduct of the primary elections held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

According to the judge, the evidence presented by the PDP (Annexure 1) was insufficient and lacking in evidence, which indicated that the election officials had manipulated the result sheets.

Justice Ekwo noted that the plaintiffs have successfully proved their case against the defendants through the evidence presented. On the Independent National Electoral Commission, the prime defendant in the case, the judge noted that although INEC has filed a memorandum of appearance, it has not submitted any further documents in the case.

He said INEC’s counsel said he would abide by the court’s decision and supported the plaintiffs’ arguments. “I find the plaintiffs’ case succeeds on merits,” Justice Ekwo ruled. 378 ad hoc delegates, loyal to the impeached Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, had dragged INEC, the PDP, its national secretary and the South-South vice president to court over the outcome of the primaries. In the suit dated February 7 but filed on February 8, the plaintiffs sought two orders, “An order for the defendants or their agents to take no action but to show why the plaintiffs’ reliefs in their original writ petition should not be granted as to the plan of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants to exclude them and 378 other delegates, whose names and election results are contained in “BID Exhibits 8A to 8L”, from participating in the February 22nd primaries in Edo”. The plaintiffs, including Kelvin Mohammed, Mr Gabriel Okoduwa and Mr 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