Edo 2024: Court Reaffirms Ighodalo’s Candidature As PDP Governorship Candidate, Fines Shaibu

By Akinwale Kasali

Asue Ighodalo, has been reaffirmed by the Court of Appeal as the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The second highest Court in the land affirmed that Ighodalo is the duly certified Candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.

Justice A.M. Lamido’s Panel of two other Judges declined to nullify the Primary Election which produced Ighodalo as candidate of the PDP, for the impending governorship election in Edo State, and dismissed the appeal that was filed by the reinstated embattled Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu.

The Judge dismissed the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/642/2024, for lack of merit, and  stressed that it found no reason to set aside the May 27 judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which refused to invalidate the governorship primary election the PDP conducted in Edo State based on the suit by the Appellant.

For wasting its time, the Court of Appeal awarded a penalty of one million Naira in fines, against the Appellant in favour of the Respondents in the matter.

Justice James of Omotosho of the High Court court had, in his judgement, which was affirmed by the appellate court, held that  Deputy Governor, Shaibu, lacked the locus standi (legal rights) to seek to nullify the outcome of the primary poll.

Justice Omotosho held that the plaintiff did not meet the condition precedent that would have conferred such legal right on him.

According to the Court, no evidence was adduced to establish that he participated in the Primary Election he sought to nullify its outcome.

Justice Omotosho held that it was a basic requirement of the law that a plaintiff must take part in a disputed election to be able to challenge its outcome in court.

Omotosho had said there was overwhelming evidence that the plaintiff was never physically present at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, where the PDP conducted its primary election on February 22.

The Court said there was an unchallenged evidence that the Deputy Governor participated in a parallel primary election that was conducted in his residence by a faction of the party.

More so, Justice Omotoso held that the plaintiff failed to explore and exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the PDP as stipulated by the law, before he approached the court with the suit.

He further held that the plaintiff had no basis to call for the cancellation of the primary election result and the nullification of Ighodalo’s candidacy since he did not participate in the exercise.

He, therefore, dismissed the suit for want of merit.