PIt seems there is no limit to the deflation of ambitions of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday restrained hierarchy of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or accepting names of national delegates other than the names of those who were elected at the local government area congress of May 10, 2022 which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Recall only on Thursday that the court made a similar order, invalidating the congress that elected ad-hoc delegates, conducted by faction loyal to the Governor.
In a similar vein on Friday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that a congess not monitored by INEC ran foul of the PDP constitution and the electoral guidelines.
He said only the delegates emanating from INEC-monitored congress were the authentic ones.
Fred Attam, Henry Amienkenan, Gideon Ikhine and Prince Tijani Ugbodaga (on behalf of 19 others) are the plaintiffs, while the defendants are Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Hon. Umar Bature, Kamaldeen Ajibade and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were the 1st to the 6th defendants in the case.
In a judgment, Justice Ekwo held that the plaintiffs’ election as national delegates of the 1st defendant the (PDP) from the local government area congress of the 1st defendant conducted in the 28 local government areas of Edo state on the 10th day of May, 2022 and monitored by the 6th defendant (INEC) was in compliance with the constitution of the PDP and electoral guidelines for primary election.
The court said the defendants were bound by the PDP constitution and the electoral guidelines.
It held that the plaintiffs in the suit were elected as national delegates of the party.
It therefore ordered that “only the plaintiffs as national delegates elected at the local government Congress of the 1st defendant from the 18 local government areas on 10th May, 2022 and witnessed by the officials of the 6th are the authentic National Delegates of the 1st defendant for the primary election in Edo state and the special national convention of the 1st defendant for the election of its presidential candidate.”
By this judgment, the court has validated allies of Chief Dan Orbih, South South Vice chairman of the PDP, in charge of the mainstream PDP in Edo.
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