A/Court overturns nullification of Edo PDP gov’ship primary

The court of appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of a federal high court which faulted the conduct of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo.

The poll produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the September 21 election.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, set aside the judgement of Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered on the July 4, on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.

In a unanimous decision, delivered by Justice U.A. Musale, in the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/763/24, the court held that it cannot interfere with how the PDP select its candidate.

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Besides, the appellate court held that those who instituted the suit lacked the necessary legal standing to do so.

Some aggrieved members of the party: Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa and Ederaho Osagie had challenged the exercise and sued for themselves and on behalf of the 378 other delegates in 12 LGAs and 127 wards on the outcome of the election.

They prayed the court to grant a mandatory order restraining the defendants from unlawfully excluding them and other lawfully elected delegates from participating as ad hoc ward delegates.

NAN reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, in that judgment held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. (NAN)