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Tag: Edo PDP

  • Edo PDP crisis deepens as Wike faction elects executives

    Edo PDP crisis deepens as Wike faction elects executives

    A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has elected executives in the state headed by Mr. Nosa Ogieva.

    The new factional executive was elected at a Congress in Benin City, Edo State capital.

    Five hundred and seventy-six delegates from the 192 wards participated in the election.

    Last week, another Edo PDP faction held its Congress and elected Tony Aziegbemi as its chairman.

    Addressing the PDP delegates, SouthSouth Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, accused former governor Godwin Obaseki of causing decline in the fortunes of the party.

    He said the poor performance of the party at the recently conducted by-election showed how unpopular PDP had become in Edo State.

    He urged the delegates to elect people with capacity that would reawaken PDP.

    He said: “Just yesterday (Saturday), I saw a statement issued by some funny characters saying they are advising party members not to attend this event. Are you not here?

    “Those who don’t have any moral authority to speak on behalf of the party should keep their mouth shut.

    Read Also: Wike, Fubara, Amaewhule, Rivers elders, others meet in Port Harcourt

    “As we prepare to elect our executive, I will appeal to you to vote for those with capacity to lead this party, not those who will sell out, not those who will deny members their legitimate right.

    “As members of our great party, there is no doubt that PDP is going through leadership crisis at the national level and several other states.

    “Let us not deceive ourselves. For the first time in the history of our great party, we have elected governors of PDP and founding leaders, founding members of this party, leaving this party every day for one simple reason, failure of leadership.

    “Elected governors are leaving. Elected senators are leaving. Elected members of the House are leaving. In Edo State, we know the root of our problem. We had a united party where everybody related with one another as brothers and sisters, until Godwin Obaseki joined our party.

    “Obaseki destroyed our party. He sowed the seeds of discord, deep rooted seeds of discord in our party. He sinned against the party. He sinned against the people. He sinned against the state.

    “Obaseki came into the party and destroyed everything that was good in the party. Today, our party’s umbrella is shattered, torn and we are here today to rebuild the party.

    “What used to put us together as a family was destroyed by Obaseki. He fought every person except himself, and at the end, we are at a very disadvantaged position in the politics of Edo State.”

    The new factional chairman promised to reunite the party, saying PDP would soon begin to win elections again in the state.

  • Alleged cultism: Edo PDP Reps member heads for APC

    Alleged cultism: Edo PDP Reps member heads for APC

    Few weeks after his house was marked for demolition, Hon Marcus Onobun, the lawmaker representing Esan West, Esan Central and Igueben in the House of Representatives, is set to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). 

    Onobun, a former Edo Speaker, is the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member elected to the National Assembly.

    He was, on Monday, absent at the Edo PDP stakeholders meeting.

    Last month, he accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of using underhand tactics to force opposition leaders to the APC after his house was marked for demolition for allegedly harbouring cultists.

    Sources close to the Onobun said he has embarked on consultation with stakeholders in the APC to finalise his return to the party.

    Read Also: Okpebholo, Edo PDP trade words over Tinubu’s re-election campaigns

    A reliable PDP chieftain who pleaded anonymity said: ” I can authoritatively tell you that Hon.Marcus Onobun is on his way to the APC. In the next few days he will announce his decision to pitch tent with the ruling party. 

    “Don’t forget that he was in the APC before he defected to the PDP, so it is going to be like a home coming. He has even met with Governor Monday Okpebholo and other top leaders of the APC. 

    On his part, Onobun said: “I am consulting and will let you know”.

  • Okpebholo, Edo PDP trade words over Tinubu’s re-election campaigns

    Okpebholo, Edo PDP trade words over Tinubu’s re-election campaigns

    Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo and the state’s chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have disagreed on bitterness and falsehood associated with the 2027 re-election campaigns for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Fred Itua, yesterday in a statement, accused PDP of recklessness and being malicious.

    PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, had hailed the Presidency for condemning the premature 2027 re-election campaigns for President Tinubu, in order not to heat up the polity.

    PDP said: “The Presidency has publicly disclaimed the premature and illegal 2027 campaign billboards flooding parts of Nigeria, including those promoted by Senator Okpebholo and All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in Edo State. In a statement titled: ‘Presidency Disclaims 2027 Campaign Billboards Nationwide,’ the Federal Government expressed dismay over the growing number of unauthorised political billboards, and reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law.

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    “This marks a major blow to Senator Okpebholo’s desperate attempts to curry favour with President Tinubu through reckless and unlawful political grandstanding. Edo State chapter of PDP had raised the alarm in a statement titled: ‘Okpebholo’s Launch of 2027 Presidential Campaigns for Tinubu in Edo: An Insult, an Affront to the Constitution.’

    “The Presidency’s intervention validates our concerns and exposes the deceitful tactics of Edo APC, which has shown disregard for the nation’s electoral laws. Their antics have not only embarrassed Edo people, but have also drawn a rebuke from the leadership they were trying to impress.

    “We now await the response of the Edo State Government to this direct disapproval from the Presidency. As we previously noted, Section 94 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 states: ‘The period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

    PDP said it remained committed to defending constitutional order and protecting the integrity of the country’s renascent democracy against desperate and unlawful manipulation by the APC.

    Okpebholo’s CPS Itua, however, said: “Our attention has been drawn to yet another reckless, misleading and malicious statement credited to Edo State chapter of PDP, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare. In the said statement, PDP once again peddled baseless claims and sought to mislead the public on matters it clearly does not understand or deliberately chooses to misrepresent.

    “Let it be clearly stated that the statement is a shameful display of PDP’s consistent obsession with fabricating lies against the person of Governor Okpebholo and the progressive administration of APC in Edo State. These repeated outbursts are the product of a party drowning in irrelevance and struggling desperately to remain in public discourse.

    “It is hypocritical for the same PDP that has consistently desecrated the rule of law through executive impunity and abuse of office to now quote the Electoral Act in a dishonest attempt to score cheap political points. Edo PDP is in no moral position to lecture anyone on constitutional order or democratic values. Their tenure in power was defined by deceit, maladministration and a relentless assault on truth and transparency.

    “Let it also be noted that at the appropriate time, PDP and its officials, including Chris Nehikhare, will be held accountable for the spurious allegations they have repeatedly made against Governor Okpebholo and other public officials. Enough is enough.”

  • Edo: Why we are appealing tribunal’s judgment, by PDP

    Edo: Why we are appealing tribunal’s judgment, by PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has rejected the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, delivered on April 2.

    The three-member tribunal led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in the judgment, has affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Edo State.

    In a statement on Sunday, PDP Chairman in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, described the judgment as a miscarriage of justice that ignored overwhelming facts, twisted the law and rewarded impunity.

    The PDP said having received and studied the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment, it is now even more convinced that the tribunal turned the law on its head to protect a rigged process.

    It claimed the tribunal abandoned its constitutional duty to deliver justice and instead constituted itself into a “fourth respondent,” inventing technicalities to sidestep the clear evidence of electoral malpractice placed before it.

    “We have studied the CTC of the judgement. This judgment, with due respect to the judges involved, is a travesty. But we are not deterred. 

    “We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side,” it said.

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    The PDP explained that its petition before the tribunal accused INEC of rigging the election in favour of the APC by refusing to comply with its own guidelines and by collating manipulated results across the state. 

    The party added that according to the petition, its candidate, Asue Ighodalo scored the majority of lawful votes and should have been declared the winner.

    The PDP maintained that despite the ruling, the mandate of the people of Edo State remains with Asue Ighodalo.

    It added: “Senator Monday Okpebholo, in a public statement, extended what he described as an olive branch to his rival, calling on Ighodalo ‘to join hands in unity and work together for the progress of Edo State.’

    “But, the PDP remains unmoved.

    The issue of an olive branch is premature. We are talking about retrieving a stolen mandate. There can be no peace without justice.”

  • Edo PDP chair calls for immediate recall of suspended LG chairmen, VPs

    Edo PDP chair calls for immediate recall of suspended LG chairmen, VPs

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caretaker Committee in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemi, has urged the 24-member Edo State House of Assembly to immediately reinstate the suspended chairmen and vice chairmen of the state’s 18 local government councils.

    Aziegbemi argued that recalling the officials would restore governance at the grassroots and allow them to complete their constitutionally guaranteed three-year tenure.

    Speaking at a press conference in Benin, he expressed strong disapproval of the ongoing constitutional crisis, accusing the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration of crippling local government administration and pushing Edo State toward chaos and anarchy.

    He said: “Currently, nothing is happening in Edo State local government councils. Any of the council chairmen that attempts to work is being attacked and humiliated by thugs.

    “While we commend the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for standing on the part of the law, we also urge him to move beyond mere pronouncements and institute contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General of Edo State, for disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling. 

    “The Edo case is a precedent that will derail the efforts and fights of President Bola Tinubu in ensuring autonomy for the local government councils.

    “Since there is no properly-constituted local government administration in Edo State currently, we urge the Accountant-General of the Federation to immediately halt all allocations to Edo State government through the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), as stipulated in the Supreme Court’s ruling.”

    Edo chairman of PDP reiterated that in accordance with the Local Government Electoral Law, as passed by the Edo House of Assembly, free and fair elections were conducted across all local government councils in the state on September 2, 2023, by a lawfully and properly-constituted State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC). 

    He noted that from September 4, 2023 when the duly-elected council executives were inaugurated, until December 16, 2024, when the crisis started, the local government councils in Edo state were vibrant and functioned effectively, delivering governance and essential services to the people at the grassroots.

    Read Also: Edo PDP chair confident tribunal will return mandate to Ighodalo

    Aziegbemi said: “Okpebholo, who had barely spent a month in office, wrote to the Edo House of Assembly, ordering the suspension of the duly-elected chairmen and vice-chairmen, in total disregard of the law. This directive was executed by the Assembly to the letter, under the false pretense of gross misconduct and insubordination, without granting the chairmen and vice chairmen fair hearing.

    “Not only did the House of Assembly purportedly and illegally suspend the council chairmen for two months, but their deputies were as well suspended, thereby raising the fundamental question: Even if the chairmen were to be suspended, what offence did the deputies commit to warrant their suspension?

    “The illegal action of Okpebholo and Edo House of Assembly was despite the clear and binding rulings and judgments of every court in the land.”

    Edo chairman of PDP also stated that the purported impeachment of the duly-elected council chairmen and vice chairmen remained null and void, as Section 19 of the Edo State Local Government Law 2000, as amended in 2002, spelt out the process of impeachment.

    Aziegbemi condemned the “illegal” appointment of Heads of Local Governments Administration (HOLGA) and other impostors to act as council chairmen in various local councils in Edo state. 

  • Edo PDP files petition to challenge APC’s victory

    Edo PDP files petition to challenge APC’s victory

    • APC announces formation of 24-member transition team

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Movement (APM), All Peoples Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) have filed petitions at the election petitions tribunal in Edo State to challenge the September 21 victory of the Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Edo Chairman of PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, yesterday at a news conference in Benin, said the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, filed a petition at the tribunal, noting that the legal process to reclaim PDP allegedly-stolen mandate was on course.

    Aziegbemi said: “APC did not have a chance of winning Edo governorship election. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not play by the rules, as it was compromised.

    “We have filled our petition before the tribunal. I can assure you that the journey to reclaim our mandate has begun, and by the grace of God, your mandate will be returned.

    “The allegation that PDP members disrupted the inspection of electoral materials at INEC’s Edo headquarters in Aduwawa, Benin is laughable. In whose interest is the disruption? We applied to the court for inspection, and the court granted us an enrolled order to inspect. Why would we want to disrupt the process?

    “In spite of INEC’s feeble attempt to deny us our request for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of all the electoral materials, we were still able to do the needful.”

    Read Also: Edo PDP and the cost of division

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State chapter, has announced the formation of 24-member transition team to work with Governor Godwin Obaseki/Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) transition committee.

    Edo Chairman of APC, Jarret Tenebe, made this known yesterday in a letter he addressed to Governor Obaseki.

    He said: “I write to acknowledge the receipt of your letter requesting the Governor-Elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the APC to initiate the formation of a transition team to work with your side.

    “We look forward to a smooth and effective collaboration with our 24-member committee, headed by Dr Pius Odubu as chairman, for meaningful discussions that will lead to a seamless transition process.”

    APC transition committee comprises Dr. Odubu, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Pastor Osagie Ize-lyamu, Andrew Enwanta, Dr. Washington Osifo, Nosa Adams, Omosede Igbinedion, Paul Ohonbamu, Edo Omorogieva, Ernest Umakhihe, Taiwo Akerele and Godwin Eshieshie.

    Others are Yakson Musa, Kazeem Afegbua, Ohio Ezomo, Gani Audu, Dr. Aminu Imafidon, Prof Oyaziwo Aluede, Prof. Eunice Omonzejie, Matthew Egbadon, Dr.Tony Ikpasaja, Felix Akhabue, Kingsley Ehigiamusor and Dr. Frank Omoh.

  • Edo PDP council deputy DG Odigie sheds tears over election loss

    Edo PDP council deputy DG Odigie sheds tears over election loss

    Prince Emmanuel Odigie, Deputy Director-General of the Edo PDP Governorship Campaign Council, on Tuesday, September 24, broke down in tears during an interview with AriseTV Morning Show.

    His emotional outburst was in response to the outcome of the Edo governorship election, which saw the APC’s Monday Okpebholo declared winner.

    Odigie’s party has since rejected the results of the state governorship election.

    Okpebholo, a serving senator, won the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 247,274 votes.

    Odigie during the interview recounted a heart-wrenching encounter with four women at the airport before the election.

    Read Also: JUST IN: PDP rejects outcome of Edo governorship election

    According to him, the women, two from Houston and two from Atlanta, had travelled to Nigeria to vote for Asue Ighodalo for the first time, mobilising their family and friends to do the same.

    He said: “What happened to the will of the people? What happens to voting, competence, and the betterment of society?”

    Speaking in a sorrowful tone, Odigie said: “If they did this evil to project the best candidate, that has intellectual depth, the intellectual capacity to articulate and do what is needed to take Edo to the next level. I won’t be feeling this bad.”

    He said: “It is evidently clear that the fight against Asue Ighodalo was a vendetta fight against Godwin Obaseki.”

  • Can PDP retain power in Edo?

    Can PDP retain power in Edo?

    As the people of Edo State head to the polls on Saturday to elect a new governor, South-South Regional Manager, Shola O’Neil, reflects on Governor Godwin Obaseki’s numerous battles with political leaders, his former associates, and traditional institutions. He suggests that although the governor’s name and face might not be on the ballot, his record and controversies could significantly impact the election outcome, particularly for the PDP’s candidate, Aisuen Ighodalo. SHOLA O’NEIL reports

    The sight of Edo State Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki in tears at an event last Thursday was unusual. It was a far cry from the boisterous and typically confident Obaseki, who has dominated the state’s political landscape for the last eight years. The governor is nearing the end of his constitutionally allowed two four-year terms, which will conclude in October.

    Obaseki’s name may not be on the ballot, but his image and influence loom large enough to affect the chances of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the election. Like many Nigerian governors, Obaseki has handpicked Mr. Aisuen Ighodalo as his chosen successor, and his tears reveal how much is at stake for him in the contest.

    Days after Obaseki wept, he switched to an aggressive stance, declaring on Saturday that the election was a do-or-die matter for him and the PDP. “If they win, we will die,” he thundered. Those familiar with the governor suggest that his recent outbursts are just ‘Obaseki being Obaseki.’

    Since succeeding his predecessor and former political benefactor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Obaseki has sparked numerous controversies and clashed with powerful figures, while ruling the state with a strong hand. From refusing to inaugurate duly elected opposition lawmakers and placing the Edo State House of Assembly under lock and key to sidelining his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, Obaseki’s governance has been marked by a series of confrontations.

    His opponents argue that his tenure is riddled with broken promises, controversies, and betrayal of those who supported him, leading many of his close associates to secretly refer to him as the ‘Use-and-Dump Governor.’

    Obaseki lives by his middle name, Nogheghase, meaning “one who must have his way.” This trait has been evident in his dealings, even with the highly respected Oba of Benin, Uku Akpolokpolo Ewuare II. Despite warnings, Obaseki has refused to back down on several issues, including those involving the revered Benin monarch.

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    Political analysts say Obaseki embodies his ‘Ematon’ (Hammer) nickname, crushing everything in his path, including perceived minor obstacles. While he was more restrained in his early years, as he consolidated power, he became increasingly domineering and destructive in his approach to governance.

    The first significant casualty of Obaseki’s rise was Adams Oshiomhole, the man who brought him from relative obscurity and introduced him to the Edo public. Their fallout, which began within the All Progressives Congress (APC), was dramatic, with Obaseki aligning with anti-Oshiomhole factions and helping to remove him as National Chairman of the APC. Obaseki celebrated Oshiomhole’s downfall, openly rejoicing with his adversaries.

    Supported by his deputy, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, Obaseki switched parties in 2020, moving to the PDP when it became clear that Oshiomhole would block him from securing the APC’s ticket for re-election. However, after securing his second term, Obaseki turned against Shuaibu, who had been instrumental in his re-election and helped neutralize Oshiomhole’s influence in Edo North.

    Obaseki orchestrated Shuaibu’s attempted impeachment, publicly humiliating him by locking him out of his Government House office. Despite a court ruling invalidating the impeachment, Shuaibu remained sidelined from the seat of power.

    Before Shuaibu, Obaseki’s relationship with Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and current Federal Capital Territory Minister, also soured. Wike had been a key supporter of Obaseki during his transition to the PDP, but their alliance deteriorated after Obaseki aligned with anti-Wike forces within the party.

    Wike has since declared that he will not support Obaseki or the PDP candidate in the upcoming election, and many believe that Wike will seize the opportunity to strike back at his former ally.

    Perhaps Obaseki’s most contentious battle has been with the Oba of Benin’s palace. From disputes over the return of Benin artefacts to his efforts to strip the Oba’s control over certain traditional leaders, Obaseki’s actions have drawn widespread criticism from the Benin people. Many see his clashes with the Oba as an unforgivable affront to one of Nigeria’s most respected monarchs.

    The upcoming election will be influenced by the coalition of anti-Obaseki forces, which includes not only political adversaries but also traditional and cultural entities. The metaphorical hammer has changed hands, and many are eager to see whether the people of Edo will exact their revenge at the ballot box.

  • Edo PDP: Division, litigation and confusion

    Edo PDP: Division, litigation and confusion

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State appears to be at crossroads. Can the chapter make it to the September governorship poll?
    PDP was not expected to bounce back four years ago until Governor Godwin Obaseki defected to the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC). His defection became a blessing to the chapter. But, the party also slided into acrimony over defective harmonisation, following the influx of new members. The crisis was never resolved.
    The goal of the party is to retain power in post-Obaseki era. To do so, it must make haste. Speed is required as delay could be dangerous. To survive, it must prepare for legal fireworks in the court and avoid a lot of pitfalls.
    The recent judgement of thr Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court was a blow. It invalidated the process that led to the emergence of Dr Asue Ighodalo as the governorship candidate of the party.
    Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the PDP’s primary held on February 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, the guidelines for the conduct of the poll and the constitution of the party.
    The political interpretation is that in Edo PDP, there is no internal democracy.
    But, it is beyond that. The chapter has been polarised. Cracks were not mended. Reconciliation had hit the rocks. Ironically, the court judgement against Edo PDP led to jubilation in a section of the chapter.

    Read Also: Court voids Edo PDP’s governorship primary

    The celebration was in two respects in the state. The camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) saw the judgment as a positive step as it removed a serious challenger to the bid of their candidate, Senator Monday Okpebhelo.
    But more surprising was that a substantial part of the PDP, comprising those who consider themselves as the original stakeholders of the PDP before the advent of Obaseki welcomed the verdict and saw it as a just recompense against a man who was welcomed to the party but decided to take over the title documents.
    The Dan Orbih group, fiercely loyal Nyesom Wike, has refused to be pacified. The governor has not been successful in his attempt to erase the past and achieve full integration of diverse interests.
    While the news immediately went round that Ighodalo had been disqualified, some national officials of the PDP subsequently issued a statement that Justice Ekwo did not specifically mention Ighodalo as having been disqualified.
    But according to legal pundits, the disqualification of Ighodalo was never brought up by the plaintiffs who originated the case. The plaintiffs were 372 delegates who emerged from the ad-hoc ward elections. They claimed that they were removed by the party from participating in the residue of processes that led to the emergence of the candidate.
    These ward delegates went to court with certificates of their election signed by the party’s electoral officers in each of the supwards.
    Also, PDP came to court with certificates of ward delegates, which were allegedly signed by the chairman of the Ward Delegates Election.
    While examining the claims of the PDP, the judge wondered how one man could have been in 192 wards at the same time to sign the results of the delegates’ election.
    Remarkably, the new chairman of the ad-hoc ward delegates election came after Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde pulled out, following fears that a disaster was about to happen to the PDP.
    PDP is paying a price for disunity.The impression that the PDP is united in supporting the candidacy of Ighodalo has been widely debunked, given the fact that the state secretary of the party, Hilary Otsu, blamed Obaseki for the problem the party is facing.
    He said: “The news of the Federal High Court ruling on Edo governorship congresses and primary does not come as a surprise. The process was faulted by many and just as nine out of the 10 aspirants went to various courts to challenge the outcome.
    “The governor insisted on his way or no way. Unfortunately, he isnt the candidate. His belligerent posture all these years led him to mishandle this process leading to this first time ever debacle.
    “Edo PDP has never had its governorship primary challenged in court. One of the aspirants, Barr. Ojezua, warned severally on TV that PDP stands the risk of not having a candidate and fatally, so it is right now.”
    The division in the PDP was reflected in the fact that about eight of the party’s aspirants were seen in a video celebrating the court decision.
    What next? The party is on appeal. But, what is more important is a truth and reconciliation meeting where aggrieved chieftains will once again hear their grievances, forgive and forget wrongdoings and resolve as one body to sslvage the platform from liquidation.
    Dialogue is always better than warfare. Through some creative political solutions, Edo PDP can still be rescued from the brink.

  • BREAKING: Court voids Edo PDP Governorship Primary

    BREAKING: Court voids Edo PDP Governorship Primary

    A Federal High Court Abuja, on Thursday, invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the PDP’s primary held on Feb. 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; the guidelines for the conduct of the poll amd the party’s constitution.

    Justice Ekwo, who said that the Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.

    The judge said that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome.of the poll.

    He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, were against the provisions of the law.

    Justice Ekwo held that, though INEC, the 1st defendant, filed a memorandum of appearance in the suit, it was unfortunate that the commission did not file any process in the case.

    According to the judge, the 1st defendant counsel only said it will be bound by the decision of the court.

    “I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeed on merit,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three aggrieved ad-hoc delegates, on behalf of the 378 others, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, its national secretary and the vice chairman, south south as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.

    Read Also: Edo PDP to host first strategy session in Abuja Thursday

    In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024 dated Feb. 7 but filed Feb 8, the plaintiffs sought for two orders

    These include an order for the defendants or their agents not to act but to show cause why the reliefs of the plaintiffs in their originating summons should not be granted with regard to the plan of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants to exclude them and 378 other delegates, whose names and election results are contained in “Exhibits BID 8A to 8L,” from participating in the primaries.of Feb. 22 in Edo.

    The plaintiffs, which include Hon Kelvin Mohammed, Mr Gabriel Okoduwa and Mr Ederaho Osagie, on behalf of others in 12 local government areas and 127 wards, averred that it would be in the interest of justice for their reliefs to be granted.

    NAN reports that the 381 delegates are those loyal to Philip Shaibu, the impeached deputy governor.

    (NAN)