Shaibu Drags PDP, Ighodalo To Court Over Edo Governorship Primaries

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to court over the outcome of the party’s primary election for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Shaibu also included the PDP governorship candidate for Edo, Asue Ighodalo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his lawsuit.

Naija News reports Shaibu is seeking a court order to invalidate the election that took place at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, where Ighodalo was declared the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

The Edo Deputy Governor, in a suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja through his lead counsel, Doyin Awoyale (SAN), also wants the presiding judge to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject Ighodalo as the standard-bearer of PDP in the September 21 poll.

He urged the court to nullify the PDP’s “purported” Edo governorship primary election and withdraw forthwith, the certificate of return issued to Ighodalo, saying the factional shadow poll was conducted, contrary to the provisions of PDP’s constitution and Electoral Act.

Shaibu, in the suit with reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/308/2024, sought an order to restrain Ighodalo from parading himself as the duly-nominated governorship candidate of PDP in Edo, with the party’s National Vice Chairman, Southsouth, Chief Dan Orbih, as the third defendant.

The originating summons read: “An order of injunction restraining the 1st defendant (INEC) from accepting and/or recognising the name of the 4th defendant (Ighodalo) as the governorship candidate of the 2nd defendant (PDP) in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, scheduled to be conducted by the 1st defendant on the 21 of September, 2024.

“An order of this honourable court restraining the defendants, by themselves and/agents, representatives, organs, chapters, etc. from tampering with and/or discarding the delegates’ lists that emerged from the 2nd defendant’s congresses of 4th February, 2024 and 10th February, 2024, conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the 2nd defendant.

“An order of this honourable court mandating the 2nd defendant to conduct a fresh governorship primary election for the nomination of the governorship candidate for the 2nd defendant in the 2024 Edo governorship election.”