joshuaGov’ship Primary: Asue, Ogie Ticket Intact, Says Edo PDP
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation has said the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja on the party’s delegate election did not invalidate the outcome of the party’s primary election which produced the party’s flagbearer, Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.
Reacting to the ruling, the party described the judgment as “a strange development and contrary to a long line of Appellate Courts’ decision on the subject.”
In a statement, the party’s campaign organisation said: “Today, July 4, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo entered a judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/165 of 2024 (HON. KELVIN MOHAMMED & 2 ORS VS INEC & 3 ORS), which was filed by some disgruntled persons who claimed that they were authentic delegates wrongly excluded from participating in the choice of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo State.
“In a strange development and contrary to a long line of Appellate Courts’ decision on the subject, the Hon. Justice held that the issue of ward congresses and choice of the delegates, is a justiciable matter which the court is entitled to look into.”
The campaign organisation continued: “It must be noted that the Edo State PDP and the specific court involved in this matter have a history on exactly this same point in which the Appellate Court had cause to set aside similar decisions of that same Court and to restate the law that ward congresses and the choice of delegates are purely internal affairs of political parties outside the jurisdiction of any court.
“We are confident that this new decision will not survive the test of appeal and all necessary steps in that regard are already being actively pursued.
“Furthermore, it must be noted that the claim in question and the judgment which arose therefrom did not in any shape or form invalidate or even challenge the outcome of the PARTY PRIMARIES which produced the candidate of the PDP for the forthcoming elections.
It added: “The net result therefore is that contrary to the stories making the rounds, spread by mischief makers, the PDP primaries held on February 22, 2024, were not set aside and neither was any order given affecting the outcome of same.
“Members and supporters of the PDP as well as the good people of Edo State are enjoined to remain calm and ignore the antics of mischief makers as the falsity of their assertion will be made clear in the fullness of time and upon release of the actual judgment for public consumption.”
