In an interview on Thursday, the former deputy governor of Edo State, Rt Hon Philip Shaibu, expressed that the court’s decision to invalidate the governorship primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed his earlier claim that the party did not conduct a legitimate primary election.
He said, “I said it from day one that I have the authentic delegates and they voted for me on the day of the primary.
“I said that what happened that day at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was like a birthday party or a wedding reception because the real people that were supposed to vote were not there but with the court now I have been vindicated.
“I have been vindicated and I salute the judiciary. This victory is for the Edo people, it is for democracy and by the grace of God, we will take our state back from outsiders.”
On Thursday, a Federal High Court in Abuja invalidated the PDP’s primary election that had selected Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State.
The court ruling stated that the PDP’s primary, held on February 22, did not comply with the Electoral Act, 2022, the election guidelines, and the party’s constitution. Justice Ekwo, in his ruling, pointed out that the evidence presented by the PDP, specifically Exhibit PDP 1, lacked substance.
He further stated that the plaintiffs successfully established their case against the defendants through the exhibits provided. The judge noted that based on the exhibit presented by the PDP, it was evident that the returning officers responsible for preparing the result sheets simply fabricated the election outcome without proper verification.
According to Justice Ekwo, the omission of 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, from the primary election was in violation of the law. He expressed disappointment that although INEC appeared in the case, they did not provide any legal documents or processes.
The judge noted that the lawyer representing the first defendant (INEC) stated that they would respect and accept the court’s decision.
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