By Abiola Olawale
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday has once again reiterated that the judgment of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja didn’t affect its Governorship candidate for the forthcoming Edo State election, Asue Ighodalo.
The party said the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement it obtained didn’t make any pronouncement on Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie.
PDP clarified that Justice Ekwo only made a pronouncement on the validity of the 378 delegates who took the party to court.
According to the party, the court only declared that the 378 delegates were duly and lawfully elected delegates.
The PDP on its official social media handles said the judge declared that “the Plaintiffs and the other 378 delegates, whose names and election results appear on Exhibits BID 8A to 8L were elected and to allow the Plaintiffs and the 375 other lawfully elected delegates participate in the primary election of February 22, 2024.”
Parts of the judgment read: “A Declaration is hereby made that by the provisions of Article 50 (3) of the Constitution of the 2nd Defendant (as amended in 2017), the Plaintiffs together with the other lawfully elected delegates, whose names and election results appear on Exhibits BID 8A to 8L herein, are the lawfully elected Ward Congress Delegates in their respective wards and by which the Defendants cannot exclude them from participating as 3 Ad-Hoc Ward Delegates at the Governorship primary election of Edo State slated for the 22nd of February, 2024 or any other date.
“An Order is hereby made directing the Defendants who are bound by the provisions of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and Article 50 (3) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution (as amended in 2017) to abide by the outcome of the 3 Ad-Hoc Delegates Ward Congress of February 4, 2024, at which the Plaintiffs and the other 378 delegates, whose names and election results appear on Exhibits BID 8A to 8L was elected and to allow the Plaintiffs and the 375 other lawfully elected delegates participate in the primary election of February 22, 2024.
“An Order of Mandatory BID 8A to 8L herein, from participating as 3 Ad-Hoc Ward Delegates in the Governorship election primaries of the 2nd Defendant slated for the 22nd of February, 2024 or any other date.”
It would be recalled that following the judgment of Justice Ekwo, it was reported that the February 2024 primary election that produced Ighodalo has been voided on the ground that 378 delegates who were supposed to vote at the primary election were purportedly unlawfully excluded by PDP.
However, the party has come out to clarify that the validity of the candidacy of Ighodalo was not affected as the judge didn’t make any pronouncement on him.
