JUST IN: COURT NULLIFIES EDO PDP PRIMARY ELECTION

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The Federal High Court in Abuja’s Justice Inyang Ekwo has ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election, which produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s governorship candidate, was unlawful.

The primary election that took place on February 22, 2024, was declared void due to the PDP’s illegal exclusion of 378 delegates who were scheduled to cast ballots in the primary.

As Justice Ekwo rendered a decision in a lawsuit filed by the irate delegates, she declared the primary election to be invalid.

In his official position, a certain Kelvin Mohammed filed the lawsuit.

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Judge Ekwo ruled that the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin was conducted in a way that breached both the PDP Guidelines and the Electoral Act 2022.

Justice Ekwo, who said that Exhibit PDP 1 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 said 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 poll.

He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was 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’s counsel only said it would be bound by the decision of the court.

“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” he said.

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

In the suit, 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 concerning the plan of the 2nd, 3rd, 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 of Feb. 22 in Edo.

The plaintiffs, which include Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa, and Ederaho Osagie, on behalf of others in 12 local government areas and 127 wards, averred that it would be in the interest of justice for their reliefs to be granted.

The 381 delegates are those loyal to Philip Shaibu, the impeached deputy governor.

Meanwhile, the PDP in Edo State has rejected the verdict, insisting on Ighodalo as its candidate for the September polls.

“Let it be on record that the candidature of Dr Asue Ighodalo as the flag bearer of the party for the 2024 elections remains intact and that the judgement of the Federal High court in Abuja did not in any way affect the candidature of Dr Asue Ighodalo,” the PDP chairman in Edo State Tony Aziegbemi said in a Thursday statement.

“We urge our teaming loyal supporters to remain calm and resolute as there is no cause for alarm.”