By Ogochukwu Isioma
Few weeks after the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship primary election that produced two parallel candidates in Edo state, one of the aspirants, Barr. Anselm Ojezua on Friday approached the Federal High Court, Abuja to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and National Secretariat of the PDP from recognizing Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate.
The case file marked No.: THC/ABJCS/304Q, is between Anslem Ojezua as (Plaintiff) and Asue Ighodalo, Peoples Democratic Party and Independent National Electoral Commission (Defendants).
According to the case file, the originating summons were brought pursuant to sections 84(13) B(1) and (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2022(As Amended), Independent National Electoral Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of political parties primaries, Article 50(3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (As Amended in 2017), Article 8(M) of the Peoples Democratic Party Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, Order 3 Rules 6 and 9, Order 56 Rule 1 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, Sections 12 and 13 (1) of the Federal High Courts Act, CAP F12, Volume 6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and the Inherent Powers of the Honorable Court as recognized and preserved under Section 6(6)(A)&(B) 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
Ojezua is a former Chairman of the then ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State who decamped to the PDP alongside Governor Godwin Obaseki during the Edo 2020 governorship election.
It will be recalled that the February 22, 2024 governorship primary of the PDP held in Benin City produced two parallel candidates including the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and an investment banker, Asue Ighodalo, who is believed to be the preferred candidate of the state governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Ojezua is one of the aggrieved nine aspirants in the camp of the Deputy Governor challenging the processes leading to the PDP Ad-hoc Congresses, Primary Election and nomination of Ighodalo as the party’s candidate.
