Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has, on Tuesday, dismissed two distinct lawsuits challenging the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election, which resulted in the selection of Asue Ighodalo as the PDP’s nominee for the next Edo State governorship.
Because the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to file the lawsuits in the first place, Justice Ekwo rejected the suits as being both meritless and incompetent.
The list of delegates used to conduct the primary election in February was the reason behind the plaintiffs’ legal action against the PDP and other defendants.
While the first suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/195/2024 was filed by Adizetu Umoru, the second suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/196/2024 was filed by Moses Alabi and Christopher Oboarer.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Umar Damagu (acting national chairman), Setonji Koshoedo, PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) and its National Executive Committee (NEC) were first to sixth defendants respectively.
In their separate motions filed on February 19, 2024, the plaintiffs had prayed the court to restrain the defendants from using the list of ward congresses held on February 4, for the purpose of conducting the PDP primary election in Edo State, slated for February 22 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the main suit.
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Delivering ruling in preliminary objections to the suit, Justice Ekwo however, agreed with the defendants that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to bring the case against the defendants in the first instance.
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The judge held that he did not see how and where the plaintiffs were affected by the primary election.
According to the court, the plaintiffs did not establish whether they were eligible to participate in the election but prevented or whether wrongdoings were displayed during the election.
“I find that the plaintiffs have no locus standi to file the suit, I so hold,” the judge said, adding that when a plaintiff has been adjudged to have no locus, the court ceases to have jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
“This suit is hereby dismissed,” Ekwo held.
