Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has voided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship election in Edo State that produced Asue Ighodalo as its candidate.
The election conducted on February 22, 2024, was voided on the ground that 378 delegates who were supposed to vote at the primary election were unlawfully excluded by PDP.
Justice Ekwo nullified the primary election while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by the aggrieved delegates.
The suit was instituted by one Kelvin Mohammed in a representative capacity.
Justice Ekwo held that both the 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.
Justice Ekwo, who said that Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.
The judge said that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome of the poll.
He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was against the provisions of the law.
Justice Ekwo held that, though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 1st defendant, filed a memorandum of appearance in the suit, it was unfortunate that the Commission did not file any process in the case.
According to the judge, the 1st defendant’s counsel only said it would be bound by the decision of the court.
“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” he said.
The three aggrieved ad-hoc delegates, on behalf of the 378 others, had sued INEC, the PDP, its national secretary, and the vice chairman, South-South as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
