The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside a decision of the Federal High Court which on July 4 voided the primary election of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP owing to the exclusion of 378 ad-hoc delegates of the party. It is the primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as governorship candidate.
In a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel of the Appellate Court held that only an aspirant who was seeking to run for political office has the right to challenge his exclusion at the Federal High Court, and not delegates seeking to elect the candidate of the party.
The panel said as the aggrieved party delegates are not governorship aspirants, their grouse can only be resolved internally by the party. It added that a Federal High Court judge, Inyang Ekwo, therefore, acted outside jurisdiction when he declared on July 4 that the PDP primary election held on February 22 in Edo State was invalid.
The Appeal Court restated that no Court has the right to interfere with the domestic affairs of a political party to decide its choice of candidates.
As it seemed like the position of Ighodalo hung in the balance, the PDP approached the Appeal Court in its quest to resolve the matter ahead of the September 21 Edo State governorship election.
Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa, Ederaho Osagie for themselves and on behalf of the 378 ad-hoc delegates, make up the list of respondents. Others are the electoral body, INEC, the National Secretary of the PDP, and the Vice Chairman, PDP South-South.
Godfrey Eshiemoghie
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