The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the primary election results that declared Asue Ighodalo as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the upcoming Edo State governorship election.
In a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices, the appeal filed by Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu was dismissed. Shaibu, who was previously impeached and later reinstated by the court, had sought to invalidate the PDP primary election.
The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/642/2024, was dismissed for lack of merit. The Justice A. M. Lamido-led panel found no basis to overturn the May 27 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had rejected Shaibu’s challenge to the primary election. The court also awarded a cost of ₦1 million against Shaibu in favor of the respondents.
Earlier, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court ruled that Shaibu lacked the legal standing to contest the primary election’s outcome. The court noted that Shaibu did not participate in the primary election held at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on February 22 and instead participated in a parallel primary conducted at his residence by a faction of the party.
Justice Omotosho emphasized that Shaibu failed to exhaust the PDP’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before taking the matter to court.
Shaibu’s legal challenge was part of a broader effort to contest the primary election’s legitimacy and assert his position within the party. Despite his impeachment and subsequent reinstatement, the courts have consistently ruled against him, affirming Asue Ighodalo’s candidacy for the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
The PDP primary election has been a contentious issue, but the courts have now reaffirmed Asue Ighodalo as the rightful candidate, dismissing Shaibu’s claims and legal arguments.
News Editor