A High Court of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Wednesday, nullified the e-registration exercise conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
The court consequently invalidated the 500,000 members said to have been registered during the exercise.
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, had said he successfully carried out e-registration of members during the exercise.
Kabiru Adjoto, the Chairman, Edo PDP e-registrstion told the press in November 2021 that 111,455 persons were registered and revalidated their membership of the PDP in Edo in nine weeks.
However, Umoru Vincent, a member of the party and the Chairman of Etsako East LGA of Edo State, had dragged through court the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Obaseki over the exercise.
Vincent challenged the constitutional merit of the adoption of e-registration in enlisting of new members into the party, stating that it posed an extra burden to interested members of the public, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Upholding the argument, the court agreed that the “electronic registration process introduced by the PDP runs contrary to its constitution as it imposes an additional requirement on the members of the party, both old and new.”
The court also held that the introduction of Voters Identification Number (VIN) as a condition precedent to membership registration is equally contrary to the provision of the PDP’s constitution.
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