Court orders PDP to field Obaseki in Edo PDP primaries

Ebun Francis| A High Court of Justice in the Ekpoma judicial division on Tuesday restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from excluding Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the other cleared aspirants from participating in the State governorship primary.

The court ordered that the PDP and the electoral umpire should not exempt any of the aspirants who have been cleared by the party from participating in the gubernatorial primary slated for the 25th June 2020.

A federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, had on Monday restrained Obaseki from contesting the primary based on a suit filed by Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, a PDP aspirant on grounds that he did not purchase the form within the time stated in the party’s time-table.

But in another suit brought before the high court in Edo, one Felix Irioh asked that Obaseki be allowed to contest the primary on the grounds that the PDP granted him a waiver.

In granting Irioh’s request, presiding judge, J. O. Okeaya-Inneh, said: ” I find in my humble view that the applicants have satisfied the guidelines for the grant of the orders sought as enjoined in the celebrated landmark case of Kotoye v CBN (1989), 1 NWLR PT. 98, 419 at 441.

“The balance of convenience is in favour of the 1st and 2nd applicants and there is no undue delay in bringing this application. It is in that light that I find merit in this application.”The defendants in the suit are Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the PDP, Hon. Andy Ikhajiangbe, Peter Akhimien and INEC.

“The applicants sought an Order of Interim Injunction restraining INEC from however refusing to recognize and/or accept the name of any of the aspirants named in paragraph 2 above especially Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki as lawful aspirants having been lawfully screened and cleared by the 2nd Defendant to participate in the 2nd primary election scheduled to hold on the 25th June, 2020 in any report of the monitoring of the said primaries pending the hearing of the Motion On Notice.”

The judge subsequently adjourned hearing of pending applications on the matter to July 1, 2020.