The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has upheld Asue Ighodalo as the rightful governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, confirming his nomination during the party’s primaries held on February 22, 2024, in Benin City. Justice James Omotosho made this significant ruling in case CS/469/24 on Wednesday, July 17.
The court dismissed objections raised by Philip Shaibu, Ighodalo’s political rival, who had contested the validity of Ighodalo’s candidacy. This decision overturned a previous ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo, who nullified the primary election citing violations of the Electoral Act 2022 and PDP Guidelines.
Justice Omotosho emphasized that the suit challenging Ighodalo’s candidacy was filed outside the 14-day window stipulated by Section 285(9) of the Constitution for pre-election matters. Additionally, allegations of forgery related to voter’s cards were not substantiated by the plaintiffs.
Asue Ighodalo, a prominent business lawyer from Lagos, secured victory in the PDP primaries with 577 votes, defeating Philip Shaibu and 10 other contenders. With this legal validation, Ighodalo is poised as a leading candidate for the gubernatorial election scheduled for September 2024 in Edo State.