Edo guber: A’Court dismisses suit seeking Ighodalo’s disqualification
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal seeking to disqualify Asue Ighodalo as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming Edo State election.
The appeal was rejected by a three-member panel led by Justice Hamma Barka, affirming the lower court’s previous judgment.
The appeal was filed by governorship aspirants Arthur Esene and Anselm Ojezua, who contested the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The High Court had earlier dismissed their case, ruling it statute-barred and lacking in merit. Esene and Ojezua had alleged that Ighodalo had forged his voter’s card, a claim the court found unsupported by evidence.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had previously stated that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that Ighodalo’s voter’s card was forged and noted that not possessing a voter’s card does not constitute grounds for disqualification under the constitution and Electoral Act.
In delivering the judgment, Justice Barka confirmed that the appeal was filed out of time and that the appellants did not establish their claim that Ighodalo had forged his voter’s card.
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The court also noted that the appellants did not challenge the trial court’s finding that Ighodalo had lawfully applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a transfer of his voter’s registration from Lagos to Edo, leading to the issuance of a valid voter’s card.
The appeal was dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded N3 million in costs against the appellants and in favour of Ighodalo, the PDP, and INEC.
The judgment was delivered with Justices Usman Musale and Okon Abang also on the panel.
With the dismissal of the appeal, Asue Ighodalo remains the PDP’s candidate for the Edo governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
The focus now shifts to the campaign and preparations as the election date approaches.
