The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State, which produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the party in the September 21st governorship election in the state.
The PDP’s primary election was nullified by the court in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Thursday.
Here are some of the reasons the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja nullified the primary election of the PDP in Edo State.
The court held that the primary poll the PDP held in the state on February 22, failed to meet the requirements of the Electoral Act 2022, guidelines for the conduct of the poll as well as the Constitution of the party.
Justice Ekwo held that evidence that was adduced before the court established that Ighodalo did not emerge through a valid process.
He held that exhibit that was presented by the PDP showed that the returning officers that prepared the result sheets merely sat at a place to manufacture the outcome of the poll.
The court held that the outcome of the said primary poll amounted to a nullity.
The judgement followed a suit that was brought before the court by three aggrieved plaintiffs, on behalf of 378 ad-hoc delegates that ought to have participated in the primary election.
Cited as 1st to 4th defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024, were the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the PDP, its National Secretary and the Vice Chairman, South South.
Justice Ekwo, who held that he found merit in the case of the plaintiffs, noted that INEC failed to file any process in the matter, saying it would abide by the judgement of the court.
