The crisis over the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the September 21, governorship election in Edo State has assumed a new dimension as the embattled deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, and Anselm Ojezua, have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, PDP, and Asue Ighodalo to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
OsunDailyNG reports that Shaibu and Ojezua are among the 10 governorship aspirants who protested against the conduct of the ward delegates congress and local delegates congress of the party, respectively.
The plaintiffs, in separate suits, are praying to the court for an order of injunction restraining Ighodalo from parading himself as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the party.
OsunDailyNG recalls that Philip Shaibu emerged as the party’s candidate in a parallel primary, while Anselm Ojezua lost in the primary at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
The primaries were both conducted in Benin City on February 22, 2024.
Dissatisfied with the declaration of Dr Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the party in the primary that took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the duo approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking that it withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ighodalo by INEC.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/308/2024, is between Philip Shaibu and INEC, PDP and Ighodalo, while Ojezua’s suit, FHC/ABJCS/304Q, is also between him, Asue Ighodalo, PDP and INEC as defendants, respectively.
In their originating summons, the duo averred that Ighodalo emerged from an invalid and unlawful governorship primary election, contrary to the provisions of the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Other prayers of the plaintiffs include an order of the court mandating PDP to conduct a fresh governorship primary election for the nomination of the governorship candidate for the September 21, 2024 election.
Ojezua said his originating summons was brought according to sections 84(13) B(1) and (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended), the Independent National Electoral Commission’s regulations and guidelines for the conduct of political parties’ primaries, and also Article 50(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017).
