The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of Asue Igbodalo as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Justice James Omotosho ruled that the lawsuit filed by Philip Shaibu, the impeached Edo State deputy governor, lacked merit.
Shaibu and others had petitioned the court to disqualify Ighodalo based on allegations that he faked his voter card.
However, in his decision on Wednesday, Justice Omotosho ruled that the lawsuit was banned by statute.
He emphasised that the claim, as a pre-election matter, was brought after the 14-day period provided under Section 285(9) of the constitution.
The judge further determined that, while forgery or non-possession of a voter card was grounds for disqualification under Section 182 of the Constitution, the plaintiff failed to support their claim that Ighodalo falsified his voter card.
The decision on Wednesday comes nearly two weeks after Justice Inyang Ekwo of the same Federal High Court in Abuja declared the February 22 PDP governorship election in Edo State invalid, naming Ighodalo as the party’s flag-bearer for the September 21 governorship election.
The judge found that the primary was null and void because 378 delegates who were supposed to participate in the indirect primary conducted at Benin’s Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium were illegally excluded.
However, the PDP has since challenged the decision, expressing confidence that Ighodalo will not only participate in the election but will also win comfortably.
Applauding Wednesday’s ruling, the PDP national leadership described it as “a victory for democracy, the rule of law, and a well-founded affirmation of the propriety and credibility of the primary election and the PDP’s internal democracy.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP stated,The spontaneous jubilation across Edo State at the news of the judgement reaffirms the PDP’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, as the undisputed preference of the majority of the people of Edo State in the coming governorship election.
“The party notes that the judgement further validates the fact that all the aspirants at the governorship primary election were accorded a level playing field in the conduct of the Edo State PDP congresses and governorship primary election that produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo as a candidate.
“The PDP congratulates Dr. Asue Ighodalo and urges all party members to remain united and continue to work together with the majority of the people of Edo State to ensure the victory of our party and candidate in the September 21, 2024, governorship election.”
