Judge Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Thursday that the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election held on February 22, 2024, which selected Asue Ighodalo as the governorship candidate, is invalid.
The judge said the primaries were void because 378 delegates, who should have voted, were wrongly excluded by the PDP, which goes against the law.
The court found that the PDP broke the rules of the Electoral Act 2022, its own guidelines, and its constitution during the primary election held in Benin.
The judge noted the PDP’s evidence (Exhibit 1) was not enough and showed that the results were manipulated. The plaintiffs proved their case with the evidence they presented.
Also the judge held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the first defendant, did not provide further details in the case but said it would follow the court’s decision.
The plaintiffs, including Kelvin Mohammed, sued INEC, PDP, its National Secretary, and the Vice Chairman South-South, arguing that they and 378 other delegates were wrongly excluded from the primaries.
In response, the Edo State chapter of the PDP insisted that Asue Ighodalo remains their candidate for the September 21 governorship election, despite the court ruling.
The party’s chairman, Tony Aziegbemi in a statement after the judgement, blamed certain elements for spreading false rumors about Ighodalo’s candidacy and urged their members to stay calm.
