A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a lawsuit by the impeached deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillips Shaibu, challenging the February 22 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Asue Ighodalo emerged as the winner of the primary held in Benin City.
In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho stated that Shaibu lacked the legal standing to contest the primary's outcome as he did not actively participate in it and was absent from the venue on the day of the event. The court further deemed Shaibu's lawsuit premature, noting his failure to exhaust the PDP's internal dispute resolution mechanism before heading to court.
Justice Omotosho emphasized Shaibu's obligation as a party member to adhere to the PDP's rules, which require aggrieved aspirants to first seek redress from the party's Appeal Committee before litigating. The judge highlighted the existence of compelling evidence supporting Ighodalo's victory in the primary.
