Court ruling: ‘Ighodalo’s candidature remains intact’, Edo PDP assures supporters

Following a ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship primaries election in Edo State, the PDP Chairman in the state, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, has urged members and supporters of the party to remain calm, adding that there is no cause for alarm.

Aziegbemi, who stated this in a press statement, assured the people that the party’s guber candidature of Asue Ighodalo remains intact.

He maintained that the Federal High Court Judgment did not in any way affect the candidature of Asue Ighodalo.

He said: “The PDP is aware that certain elements who are scared of the soaring popularity of our candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, are going about peddling rumours that the candidature of Dr Asue Ighodalo has been nullified.

“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.

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

Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in a judgment held that the PDP’s primary held on February 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; the guidelines for the conduct of the poll and the party’s constitution.

Justice Ekwo, who said that 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 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 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.

It was gathered that three aggrieved ad-hoc delegates, on behalf of the 378 others, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 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 Feb. 7 but filed Feb 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, 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 Hon Kelvin Mohammed, Mr Gabriel Okoduwa and Mr 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.

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