[Edo 2024] Shaibu to court: order INEC to reject Ighodalo

Edo State Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu wants the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, to declare as invalid and unlawful, the governorship indirect primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of February 22 that produced Asue Igbodalo, and that the party should be ordered to conduct fresh primary election.

Shaibu, through his lead counsel, Doyin Awoyale, SAN, also wants the presiding judge to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject Ighodalo, a Lagos-based lawyer, 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.

Edo deputy governor, 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, as obtained yesterday in Benin by our reporter, 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.”