The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as its governorship candidate.
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Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Thursday, while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the aggrieved delegates, declared the result of the primary election invalid.
The Edo PDP primary election that took place on February 22, 2024 was voided after 378 delegates who were supposed to vote were unlawfully left out by the party.
Justice Ekwo, however, ruled in favour of the aggrieved delegates whose suit was filed by one Kelvin Mohammed in a representative capacity.
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According to Ekwo, the two provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Investment banker and former Chairman of Sterling Bank and Nigerian Breweries, Ighodalo, emerged as the PDP candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
At another venue in the ancient city of Benin, the former deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, returned the winner in a parallel exercise conducted by his faction of PDP.
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At the primary presided over by the Chairman of Edo PDP Primary Electoral Committee and Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal and co-chairman, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Ighodalo polled 577 out of the 584 votes by delegates to beat his closest rival, Shaibu, who scored one vote while others got zero votes.
Ighodalo beat his absent but closest runner-up, Shaibu, as well as Anslem Ojezua, Felix Akhabue, Martin Uhomoibhi, Hajia Hadizat Umoru, Osaro Onaiwu and Arthur Esene to win the ticket.
