- The court said Shaibu lacked locus standi, didn’t fully participate in primary, and wasn’t present at the venue.
- It added that evidence showed Ighodalo won the primary, affirming his candidacy for Edo governorship election.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit by the impeached Edo Deputy Governor, Phillips Shaibu seeking the nullification of Asue Ighodalo’ candidacy for Edo governorship election.
Ighodalo had on February 22 emerged winner of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
In a judgment a moment ago, Justice James Omotosho held that Shaibu lacked to locus standi to have challenged the outcome of primary, because he did not fully participate in it and was not present at the venue of the primary the day it was held.
Justice Omotosho also held that the suit by Shaibu was premature because he failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party before heading for the court.
The judge said, as a member of the PDP, he was bound by the rules and regulations of the party, which require an aggrieved aspirant at a primary to first approach the party’s Appeal Committee before filing a suit in court.
He held that there was sufficient evidence to show that Ighodalo actually won the primary.
More to come…
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