The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a Federal High Court judgement that ordered the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to allow the participation of 381 Ad-Hoc delegates in its February 22 primary election in Edo State.
This primary had produced Asue Ighodalo as the PDP candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
A three-man panel of the appellate court dismissed the July 4, 2024, ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo, citing that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed by the aggrieved delegates.
The appellate court emphasized that it could not interfere with how the PDP selects its candidate for the upcoming governorship election.
In a related suit filed by eight other delegates, the court reiterated that a political party is akin to a club, and members must abide by its internal rules.
It further ruled that candidates who did not participate in an election have no legal standing to challenge its outcome, thus invalidating the ad-hoc delegates’ challenge to the PDP primary’s results.
Justice Ekwo had initially voided the PDP primary on the grounds that 378 delegates were unlawfully excluded, violating the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP guidelines.
However, the Court of Appeal’s decision now reinstates the outcome of the primary, reaffirming Ighodalo’s candidacy for the Edo State governorship election.
