Edo guber: APC frustrated by appeal court verdict affirming Ighodalo’s candidacy, says PDP

August 26, 2024 9:21 pm

Asue Ighodalo, governorship candidate of the PDP in Edo state

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the court of appeal for setting aside the judgment of a federal high court that faulted the conduct of its governorship primary poll in Edo state.

The primary poll produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the September 21 gubernatorial election in the state.

In a unanimous decision on Monday, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

The court held that the issue raised by the plaintiffs was a pre-primary issue — which is an internal affair of the PDP — and that the federal high court should not have entertained it ab initio.

In a statement on Monday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the judgment is a victory against “anti-democratic forces that sought to undermine and trample on the will of the people of Edo”.

“The Appeal Court judgement again validates the credibility of the PDP nomination process which produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo as its candidate,” the statement reads.

The PDP spokesperson said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is “frustrated by Dr. Asue Ighodalo’s soaring popularity and acceptance by the people of Edo State”.

He added that some members of the APC are “publicly declaring support” for Ighodalo.

“The spontaneous jubilation across Edo State at the news of the judgment is a resounding testament of the overwhelming support of the majority of the people in the state which further signposts the forthcoming sweeping victory by Dr. Asue Ighodalo, whose personality and manifesto embody the collective vision and aspiration of the people of Edo State,” he said.

Ologunagba said APC and Monday Okpebholo, its candidate in Edo, should see the court’s judgment as “handwriting on the wall and come to terms with the fact of the crushing defeat that awaits them at the poll”.

He added that the APC should know that the people of Edo have made up their minds about Ighodalo as the next governor of the state.