News
Abuja High Court Fixes Date To Hear Suit Against Edo APC Guber Candidate
The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled May 8, 2024, for the hearing of the case challenging the selection of the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo.
The lawsuit was initiated by Anamero Dekeri, one of the contenders in the primary election.
Dekeri is requesting the court to invalidate the announcement of Okpebholo as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
Dekeri, a member of the House of Representatives representing Etsako Federal Constituency, was among the aspirants initially declared victorious in the state’s gubernatorial primary election.
Ojo Babatunde, speaking on behalf of all the local government returning officers, disclosed that Dekeri garnered 25,384 votes, surpassing Dennis Idahosa who secured 14,127 votes to come in second place.
The Chairman of the primary election committee and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, announced Idahosa as the winner of the exercise, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja, declared Okpebholo as the APC candidate.
Subsequently, the National Working Committee of the party deemed the election inconclusive and called for a supplementary election.
On February 23, Bassey Otu, chairman of the APC supplementary primary election and governor of Cross River, declared Okpebholo the victor.
In a suit with reference number FHC/ABJ/CS/299/2024, Dekeri sought the court’s intervention to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognizing Okpebholo as the APC candidate.
Furthermore, Dekeri requested the court to rule the primary election that resulted in Okpebholo’s victory as unconstitutional, undemocratic, null, and void.
The APC, INEC, and Okpebholo are listed as the first to third defendants, respectively.
The reliefs partly read: “A declaration that the first defendant does not possess the vires, power or authority to forward to the second defendant any other name (particularly, that of the third defendant) other than the name of the plaintiff who secured the highest number of votes in the primary election of 17 February 2024 and was set to secure the highest number of votes had the rescheduled re-run for 22 February 2024 held and conducted in line with Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended, as well as the Constitution and Guidelines of the first defendant.
“A declaration that the submission of the name of the third defendant to the second defendant by the first defendant, to contest election on the platform of the first defendant as its flag bearer to the office of the Governor of Edo State at the off-cycle governorship election slated for 21 September 2024, is unconstitutional, illegal, ultra vires, oppressive, undemocratic, arbitrary, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.
“An order setting aside the nomination and/or submission of the name of the third defendant to the second defendant by the first defendant as its standard flag bearer for the office of the Governor of Edo State at the off-cycle gubernatorial election slated for 21 September 2024.”
