Seventeen political parties will contest the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday displayed the list of the standard bearers of the parties, with one of them to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki on November 12 this year.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, led other top officials of the commission to display the list on the notice board of its state headquarters on Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi Road, Aduwawa, Benin, and would also be available at all INEC’s offices in the 18 local government areas of the state.
Action Alliance (AA) has Uwaifo Osaro, Social Democratic Party (SDP) is Aner Abdullai Aliu, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – Azena Azemhe Friday, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – Osifo Isiah, All People Movement (APM) – Ugiagbe Odaro Syvelster, All Peoples Party (APP) – Areleogbe Amos Osalumese, Action Democratic Party (ADP) – Akhime kingson Afere, African Action Congress (AAC) – Udoh Obersifo David, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is Akhalamhe Amiemenoghena.
The governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has Asuerinme Ighodalo, Boot Party (BP) – Osirame Edeipo, Accord Party (AP) is Enabulele Bright, African Democratic Congress (ADC) – Obazele Paul Agbone, Labour Party (LP) is Olumide Akpata Anthony, All Progressives Congress (APC) has Monday Okpebholo, People Redemption Party (PRP) – Key Patience Ndidi, and Young Progressive Party (YPP) has Okungbowa Paul Ovbokhan as the governorship candidate.
The REC of INEC in Edo also disclosed that the electoral commission would publish the personal particulars of the 17 governorship candidates and their deputies, by displaying copies of Form EC9, along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at its state headquarters and the 18 local government offices in Edo.
INEC’s National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, who is also the Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the commission, urged Nigerians to scrutinise the documents.
Olumekun said: “Any aspirant who participated in his/her party’s primaries, with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false, can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court (FHC), as provided in Section 29 (5) of the Electoral Act 2022.”
With the release of the list of governorship candidates in Edo, the state’s Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, a former member of the House of Representatives, has temporarily lost out of the contest.
Shaibu, a parallel governorship candidate of PDP in Edo, filed a suit on the governorship poll at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, while still expressing optimism that he would be the standard bearer of his party on September 21.
Edo deputy governor is facing the governorship battle at a time the 24 members of the state’s House of Assembly are warming up to impeach him.
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It will be recalled that the seven-member panel put in place by Edo Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to probe the allegations levelled against Shaibu, will commence sitting on April 3, 2024.
Administrative Secretary of the panel, George Odidi, revealed that members of the panel would sit at the judges’ conference room, New High Court Complex, Benin at 10 a.m.
Odidi also stated that parties or their counsel were expected to be present, while the complainant was expected to be ready to present its case.
Okungbowa, on March 25, reconstituted the seven-member panel, which he initially put together on March 22, but two professors: Violet Aigbokhaebo and Boniface Onomion Edegbai, declined to serve on the panel to investigate the allegations, as contained in the March 6, 2024 impeachment notice by the members of Edo House of Assembly.
Edo chief judge reconstituted another panel, in line with Section 188 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The Chief Registrar of Edo High Court, Mr. B. O. Osawaru, in a press statement, with reference number: CR/4837/Vol. I1/131, disclosed that the panel would still be headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (rtd).
The other members of the new panel included Prof. Theresa Akpoghome, Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Dr. Andrew Oliha, Idris Abdulkareen, President Aighokhian, and Mariam Erakhoba Ilavbare.
On March 22, the chief registrar, in a press statement, gave names of the other members of the panel as Profs. Violet Aigbokhaebo, Boniface Onomion Edegbai and Theresa Akpoghome, as well as Dr. Andrew Oliha, and Messrs. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu and Idris Abdulkareen.
Edo lawmakers, on March 19, through a resolution by 19 of the 24 members, directed the chief judge to constitute the seven-member panel.
Shaibu, at the FHC, Abuja, through an ex-parte motion, urged the court to restrain Edo House of Assembly, the chief judge and Governor Godwin Obaseki from taking further action on the impeachment process, pending the determination of the substantive matter.
The motion, which was filed on March 18 by Edo deputy governor’s lead counsel, Prof. Oladoyin Awoyale, equally joined Edo government, Speaker and Clerk of the state’s House of Assembly, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of the Police (IGP).
FHC, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotoso, directed that all parties be put on notice, and granted the requested substituted service, with the matter adjourned till April 15, 2024, for further hearing.
Obaseki, a chieftain of the PDP, is backing the Lagos-based lawyer, Ighodalo, to succeed him on November 12 this year, while Shaibu insisted that he remained the standard bearer of PDP in Edo, for the September 21 governorship election, and declared that he would win.