Edo guber: Court dismisses suit seeking to void Asue Ighodalo’s candidacy

A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to void the nomination of Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo governorship election. 

The suit challenged Ighodalo’s disqualification on the premise that he allegedly forged his voter’s card.

In the judgment delivered on Wednesday, James Omotosho, presiding judge, held that the suit was statute barred, having been filed outside the 14 days allowed under Section 285(9) of the constitution.

The judge also held that even though forgery or non-possession of a voter’s card was sufficient ground for disqualification under Section 182 of the constitution, the plaintiff failed to prove that Ighodalo forged his voter’s card.

On February 22, Ighodalo won the PDP primary election organised by the national working committee (NWC) of the party, while Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo, was announced winner of another primary organised by a faction of the PDP in the state.

The PDP NWC issued a certificate of return to Ighodalo on February 27.

Shaibu and his allies then approached the court to challenge Ighodalo’s nomination.