Edo PDP primary election crisis: Court threatens INEC, says order to recognise NASS candidates, produced by Orbih-led faction, is sacrosanct

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and publish the names of Hon. Ogbeide Ihama, Pascal Ugbome, Chief Mike Onolememen, Patrick Giwa, Hon. Lucy Omagbon, Barrister Nosa Adams and others as senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party for Edo State in the 2023 general elections.

Justice Ekwo, who frowned at INEC for disobeying his earlier order to accept and recognise the PDP primary election conducted by Chief Dan Orbih’s faction for the purpose of electing candidates for next year’s election, warned that court’s orders remained sacrosanct untill they were vacated.

Hon. Ogbeide Ihama, Hon. Larry Ogieva , Hon. Lucy Omagbon , Patrick Giwa and others had approached Justice Ekwo, seeking an order for INEC to only recognise the Chief Orbih- led faction of the party primary poll conducted on 18th of May, 2022, which was duly monitored by the electoral umpire.

Recall that Dan Orbih, Vice Chairman of the South-South of the party has been in a running battle with Governor Godwin Obaseki over who controls the PDP structures in Edo state.

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This led to parallel congresses at the ward, local and state levels, thus producing two sets of candidates of the party in the state.

Orbih’s faction had approached the court, arguing that its congresses were conducted in accordance with the constitution of the PDP, the electoral guidelines by INEC and the Electoral Act.

The faction also held that its congresses were monitored by INEC as required by law.

Upholding their argument, Justice Ekwo in the suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/808/2022 issued an interim order directing INEC to only accept and recognise the candidates that emerged from the Chief Orbih’s factional primary poll.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, the judge frowned at the failure of the commission to obey the order of the court, and threatened to wield the big stick if at the next hearing date it was not complied with.

INEC lawyer, Abdul Sani (SAN), told the court that the commission had written to Dr Iyiochia Ayu-led National Working Committee to forward the particulars of the candidates with whom an order was made for them to upload and display for claims and objections as provided for by the Electoral Act.

Sani tendered before Justice Ekwo a letter written by the commission to the PDP national chairman demanding the particulars of the said candidates.

The judge consequently adjourned sitting till 7th July, 2022 for further hearing in the case.