A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as its candidate.
The court ruled that the primary election, held on February 22, 2024, was invalid, because 378 eligible delegates were unfairly excluded from participating in the voting process.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Thursday, July 4, while ruling in response to a lawsuit filed by disgruntled delegates, set aside the outcome of the primary election .
The suit, marked THC/ABJ/CS/165/2024, was instituted by one Kelvin Mohammed in a representative capacity.
Justice Ekwo declared that the PDP nomination processes were non-compliant with its own constitution.
The judgment means that the PDP has no candidate for the September 21overnorship and Ighodalo and the PDP will not be on the ballot unless there is a higher court ruling in the contrary before the poll.
The Judge held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Guidelines were grossly violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
The primary election was marred by controversy after the impeached deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, visited the party’s national secretariat, demanding recognition as the party’s legitimate governorship candidate.
Shaibu alleged irregularities leading to the primary, with him and Ighodalo emerging as the party’s candidates, following simultaneous primaries at different venues.
However, the PDP later recognised Ighodalo, the choice of Governor Godwin Obaseki, as its only candidate and issued him the certificate of return/party flag.
