The Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) seeking to disqualify Osagie Ize-Iyamu from the September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo.
Upon sentencing, Judge Ahmed Mohammed, dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that it had become academic.
The judge also said he did not see any legal benefits accruing to the plaintiff if the lawsuit was successful.
The PPD had taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Congress of All Progressives (APC) and Ize-Iyamu to court to ask for an order disqualifying Ize-Iyamu from the elections on the grounds that he was nominated. illegally by APC.
The PDP alleged that it was illegally nominated because APC did not hold the proper primaries to nominate candidates for the September 19 elections in Edo.
The party based its claim on the argument that Adams Oshiomohle, who ran the “so-called” primaries that nominated Ize-Iyamu, was no longer the party’s national president and had no right to run the primaries.
The PDP maintained that the APC, having failed to hold a valid primary election, had no right to participate in the election.
In opposing the lawsuit, APC maintained that the election had already been held and that the PPD candidate had won the election.
The APC also alleged that it had not contested the election result, nor did it petition the winners in the electoral petitions court.
On the last postponed date, Ms. Wendy Kuku, arguing on behalf of INEC, had urged the court to dismiss the claim for lack of merit.
Similarly, APC’s attorney, Mr. Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, had pleaded with the court to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the lawsuit amounted to “Mr. A taking panadol for Mr. B “.
Ize-Iyamu’s attorney, Roland Otaru (SAN), had also begged the court to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that it had become academic, as Governor Godwin Obaseki had already held and won the election. (NAN)
