Guber Race: Edo PDP in trouble as Deputy Governor, Shaibu takes legal action against Obaseki’s annointed candidate, INEC

From Moshood Karim
The upcoming governorship election in Edo State has been mired in controversy, with the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), facing numerous legal challenges and disputes.
These issues stem from the primary election that produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate, which was held on the same day as another primary that produced the State’s deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, as the candidate.
Recently, Shaibu filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify Ighodalo’s candidacy and withdraw his Certificate of Return. He alleges that the primary election was conducted unlawfully, contrary to the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
The lawsuit also seeks an injunction to prevent Ighodalo from parading himself has the Edo PDP’s 2024 guber candidate and participating in the upcoming election on September 21.

The originating summons reads : “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from accepting and/or recognising the name of the 4th Defendant as the Governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the 2024 Edo State Governorship election scheduled to be conducted by the 1st Defendant on the 21st of September 2024.
” AN ORDER of this Honourable Court restraining the Defendants by themselves and/agents, representatives, organs chapters, etc from tampering with and/or discarding the delegates lists that emerged from the 2nd Defendant’s congresses of 4th February 2024 and 10th February, 2024 conducted by the National Working Committee of the 2nd Defendant.
“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court mandating the 2nd Defendant to conduct a fresh Governorship Primary Election for the Nomination of the Governorship Candidate for the 2nd Defendant in the 2024 Edo
In a suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/308/2024, the deputy governor sought for the following reliefs : That A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Sections 84 (1), (5B) & (13) of the Electoral Act, 2022; Article 15 (2) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2nd Defendant’s Electoral Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, it is only Ad Hoc Delegates that emerge from a Special Local Government Area Congress and Special Ward Congresses conducted by the 2nd Defendant National Working Committee (NWC) that are eligible to vote in the Edo State PDP Governorship Primary Election held on the 22nd February, 2024.
“A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 84(1), (5B), (8) and (13) of the Electoral Act 2022; Articles 15(2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2nd Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, the 2nd Defendant cannot alter, modify, amend, exclude or substitute the list of ad hoc delegates from a Special Local Government Area Congress and Special Ward Congresses conducted by the 2nd Defendant National Working Committee (NWC)who emerged as delegates for the purpose of nominating the Edo State PDP Governorship Candidate in the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election scheduled for the 21 of September 2024?
“A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 84 (1), (2), (5B) & 13 of the Electoral Act, 2022; Articles 15 (2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2ND Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, the purported Governorship Primary Election conducted by the 2nd Defendant at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin-City on the 22nd of February 2024, from where the 4th Defendant purportedly emerged as the Governorship Candidate of the 2ND Defendant, is null and void.
“A DECLARATION that the 1st Defendant is not entitled to accept or recognise the 4th Defendant as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant in Edo State for the 21st of September 2024 Governorship Election, having emerged from an invalid, unlawful and illegal primaries conducted contrary to Section 84(1), (5B), (8) and (13) of the Electoral Act 2022; Articles 15(2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2ND Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2ND Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election.”