Edo Guber: Court Refuses to Stop PDP’s Primary

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday turned down a request to stop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from proceeding with its primary election of its candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.

Justice Ekwo rather ordered that the PDP be put on notice and appear before the court to explain why the request of the plaintiffs/applicants should not be granted.

The judge made the order while delivering ruling in two separate exparte applications brought by some aggrieved members of the PDP.

While the first suit marked: FHC /ABJ /CS/ 195/2024, was filed by Adizetu Hadizat Audrey Abosede Adunni Umoru, the second marked: FHC /ABJ /CS/ 196/2024, was filed by Moses Adomokha Alabi and Christopher Ebode Oboarere.

Respondents in the two suits are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, Setonji Koshoedo, PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC).

The two plaintiffs/applicants in their separate applications dated and filed February 19, specifically sought an interim order of the court restraining the defendants from using the list of ward congresses held on February 4, for the purpose of conducting the PDP’s primary in Edo State, slated for February 22 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the main suit.

Mr Magaji Ibrahim (SAN), who moved the two separate motions, pointed out that the primary election would amount to a nullity if allowed to hold on the grounds that the process which produced the delegates is defective.

According to Ibrahim, the PDP trampled upon the judgment of the court delivered on January 9, this year, when the Acting National Secretary of the party announced the information of the ward congresses.

He recalled that the court had, in the January 9 judgment, declared Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP, adding that rather than comply with the judgment, the party went ahead to appoint an Acting National Secretary in flagrant disobedience of the court.

It was the claims of the applicants that the action of the acting National Secretary amounted to an illegality, and by extension the product of the ward congresses held on February 4, 2024.

They therefore prayed the court to restrain the party and INEC from making use of the list of delegates from the alleged defective congresses.

In his ruling, Justice Ekwo, who observed that the motions of the applicants seeking to arrest the conduct of the primary, declined to grant the application.

The judge rather ordered the applicants to put the defendants on notice to enable them appear before the court and show cause why the request against them should not be granted.

They are to appear before the court on February 28, the next adjourned date for hearing.

Meanwhile, the court also gave the applicants two days to serve the court’s order and other processes regarding the suits on the defendants.

The court, in addition, ordered service of the court’s documents on the 2, 3 and 5 defendants through substituted service by pasting same on the headquarters of the PDP.