Abuja, Nigeria — A Federal High Court has invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that named Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Edo governorship election.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Inyang Ekwo declared the PDP’s primary election, held on February 22, as non-compliant with the Electoral Act of 2022, the guidelines for the conduct of the poll, and the party’s own constitution.
This decision has thrown the PDP’s preparations for the governorship race into disarray and raised serious concerns about internal party democracy and adherence to legal standards.
Justice Ekwo, in his judgment, pointed to significant flaws in the electoral process. He criticized the PDP for failing to provide concrete evidence to support the legitimacy of the primary. The judge highlighted that the evidence presented by the PDP, specifically Exhibit PDP 1, was devoid of credibility. This exhibit, according to Ekwo, demonstrated that the returning officers had fabricated the results without proper procedural adherence.
A pivotal issue identified by the court was the exclusion of 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, from participating in the primary. This exclusion was a clear violation of the legal provisions governing electoral processes.
Justice Ekwo emphasized that this breach of protocol undermined the integrity of the election and disenfranchised a significant portion of the party’s electorate.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was the first defendant in the case, did not actively participate in the proceedings. Instead, INEC’s counsel merely stated that the commission would abide by the court’s decision. This passive stance by INEC has also attracted scrutiny, considering its role as the electoral umpire.
Justice Ekwo’s ruling has cast a shadow over the PDP’s candidate selection process and called for a re-evaluation of the party’s commitment to democratic principles. As the governorship election approaches, the PDP must now address these legal challenges.
