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| Court Refuse to Disqualify PDP's Ighodalo From Edo Governorship Election |
Court Refuses to Disqualify PDP's Ighodalo from Edo Governorship Election
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to disqualify Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate, from participating in the upcoming Edo State governorship election. Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the judgment on Wednesday, striking out the suit filed by Anselm Ojeizu, an aggrieved PDP gubernatorial aspirant.
The court ruled that the suit was premature, as Ojeizu failed to exhaust the party's internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court. Justice Egwuatu agreed with Ighodalo's counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), that the plaintiff breached the PDP's mandatory rule by bypassing the Appeal Panel.
The judge emphasized that aspirants must comply with the party's internal dispute resolution process before seeking legal action. The suit was struck out, paving the way for Ighodalo to contest the election.
Ighodalo had emerged as the PDP's flagbearer on February 22, winning 577 votes. Ojeizu challenged the primary election's outcome, alleging violations of the Electoral Act and party guidelines, including the use of a fake delegates list. However, the court's decision has cleared Ighodalo to participate in the election.