A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja, on Monday, May 27, dismissed a suit by the impeached deputy governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu, seeking to nullify the February 22 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the produced Asue Ighodalo as its candidate.
Justice James Omotoso, in the judgment, held that Shaibu lacked the locus standi to challenge the outcome of the primary, having not fully participated in the exercise.
The Judge also held that the former deputy governor was not equally present at the venue of the primary the day it was held; hence his suit was premature, because he failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party before heading to court.
Justice Omotoso said as a PDP member, Shaibu was bound by the rules and regulations of the party, which requires an aggrieved aspirant at a primary to first approach the party’s appeal committee before challenging the outcome in court, saying there was sufficient evidence to show that Ighodalo actually won the primary.
