Court orders PDP, INEC not to allow Obaseki contest Edo PDP guber primary

A Federal High Court, Port Harcourt division has granted an interim injunction restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from allowing Governor Godwin Obaseki to contest the party’s primary election holding on June 25.

The court gave the order following an exparte motion dated June 22 and filed at the court by one of the PDP governorship aspirants, Omoregie Igbeide-Ihama.

In his motion, Omoregie Igbeide-Ihama prayed the court to restrain the party from allowing Governor Obaseki to contest the party’s Edo State governorship primary.

The defendants in the suit are the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Emmanuel Ogidi, Kingsley Chinda, Chief Debekeme Boyleyefa, Senator James Manager, Barrister Ajibola Muraina, the PDP, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Obaseki recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP, after he was disqualified by the APC from contesting its governorship primary held on June 22.

Obaseki’s defection to the PDP happened at a time the party had already screened its aspirants for the governorship primary.

However, he was granted a waiver by the PDP to contest in the party’s primary. The PDP also reopened its governorship screening exercise to enable Obaseki to be screened.

In his suit therefore, Igbeide-Ihama prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the PDP and other defendants from allowing Obaseki “or any member or non-member other than those that have purchased forms and were screened within the time stated in the said timetable to contest the PDP’s primary election rescheduled to hold on the 25th June, for the purpose of nominating or electing its candidate for the year 2020 governorship election in Edo State pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

He equally prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the INEC from recognising or accepting the name of Obaseki or any other person (member or non-member of the PDP) as candidate of the party other than the name of the plaintiff or that of other aspirants, who had already purchased nomination forms and were screened within the times stipulated in the PDP timetable for the nomination process of the 2020 governorship election in Edo State pending the hearing of the matter.

In the court documents signed by its Registrar, Chukwuka C. Ngozi (Mrs) and made available to Ripples Nigeria, the court granted the prayer of the applicant and adjourned the motion on notice to June 24.