The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday cleared the way for Asue Ighodalo to participate in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State as the legitimate candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The appellate court overturned a July 4 ruling by Justice Nyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, which had nullified the PDP primary that selected Ighodalo as the party’s candidate.
Justice Ekwo had invalidated the primary, citing the exclusion of 378 delegates from 12 local government areas and 127 wards in Edo State. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, as the delegates who filed the suit were not aspirants and therefore had no standing to challenge the primary.
In a separate suit brought by Anselm Ojezua, a PDP aspirant defeated in the primary, the Court of Appeal also upheld the earlier decision of Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, which had dismissed Ojezua’s challenge to Ighodalo’s candidacy.
The PDP welcomed the rulings, describing them as victories for democracy. Olu Martins, Deputy Director General of the Asue Ogie Campaign Management Council, said the judgments had thwarted the ambitions of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to take power in Edo State through legal maneuvers rather than the electoral process.
Martins criticized the APC for seeking shortcuts to power and expressed confidence that the PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, would prevail in the upcoming election. He urged the APC to focus on presenting a clear manifesto and engaging with the electorate on the issues facing the state.
