The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal seeking to disqualify Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in the forthcoming Edo governorship election over allegation of owning a forged voter’s card.
This is an appeal by Phillip Shuaibu and others challenging the validity of Ighodalo’s candidacy for the off-cycle election scheduled for September 21.
A three-member panel of the Appeal Court headed by Justice Hamma Barka affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court of July 17 which held that non-possession of a voter’s card was not a disqualifying factor of a candidate in an election.
The Appellate Court also held that Shuaibu and others failed to prove that Ighodalo forged his voter’s card as alleged by them.
In a unanimous judgment, the Appeal Court also stated that the appeal against Ighodalo’s was filed outside the 14 days allowed under Section 285 subsection 9 of the Constitution, being a pre-election matter.
The panel therefore awarded the cost of one million each in favour of Ighodalo, the PDP and electoral body, INEC.
Meanwhile, the legal team of Shuaibu and others have indicated plans to appeal the judgment.
Godfrey Eshieoghie
Follow us on:
