By Samuel Ogunsona
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday declared the Peoples Democratic Party, February 22, 2024, primary election invalid.
Justice Inyang Ekwo voided the election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s governorship candidate on the ground that 378 delegates who were supposed to vote at the primary election were unlawfully excluded by the party.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024, was instituted by the aggrieved delegate, Kelvin Mohammed, in a representative capacity.
Justice Ekwo held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP Guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin.
The Judge stated that the Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.
The Judge also said that he was able to find out that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome of the poll from the exhibit
presented by the party.
“The exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, were against the provisions of the law.
“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeed on merit,” he said.
The court held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election.