Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that resulted in Asue Ighodalo’s candidacy for governorship. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by aggrieved delegates represented by Kelvin Mohammed. The court found that 381 party members who should have participated in the primary were unlawfully excluded by the PDP. This exclusion violated both the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Guidelines. Justice Ekwo further noted that the evidence presented by the plaintiffs demonstrated that the election results were manipulated by returning officers. As a result, he upheld the plaintiffs’ case, declaring the primary election null and void.
The plaintiffs, who are reported to be supporters of Philip Shaibu, the impeached former deputy governor of Edo State, had argued that justice would only be served by granting their requests. Shaibu was impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly following a political dispute with Governor Godwin Obaseki, culminating in allegations of misconduct against him.