A Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that the February 22, 2024, governorship primary election held by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State is invalid. The court found that the exclusion of 378 elected ward delegates from the primary election violated Article 50(3) of the party's constitution.
Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the judgment on July 4, stating that the PDP failed to comply with its constitution and electoral guidelines. The suit, filed by Honourable Kelvin Mohammed and others on behalf of the excluded delegates, argued that their exclusion was arbitrary and unlawful.
The court ruled that the 378 delegates were legally elected and should have participated in the primary election. Justice Ekwo emphasized that political parties must adhere to their constitutions and guidelines, and the PDP's failure to do so rendered the primary election invalid.
As a result, the court directed the PDP to include the 378 delegates in any future primary elections and issued a mandatory injunction preventing their exclusion. This ruling invalidates the primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the PDP's candidate for the upcoming governorship election.
