In a decisive ruling delivered on July 22, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja reaffirmed Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the validly nominated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming Edo State elections. In a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement dated 8th August 2024, the court dismissed the appeal filed by former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, who had challenged the May 27th judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, given by Justice Omotoso.
The appellate court, presided over by a panel including Justices A.M. Lamido, Tunde Awotoye, and Patricia Mahmoud, unanimously upheld the lower court’s decision, asserting that Shaibu’s case was both premature and without merit. The court agreed with the earlier judgment that Shaibu lacked the legal standing to challenge the PDP primaries since he did not participate in them.
The appellate court further confirmed that the delegate congresses were conducted in compliance with the law and the PDP’s constitution, thus recognizing the delegates published by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) as valid. The ruling also validated the primary election that produced Ighodalo as the party’s legitimate candidate.
Moreover the court in affirming the lower court’s judgement, validated the authenticity of Ighodalo’s Permanent Voter Card (PVC). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had confirmed the legitimacy of the PVC, and the Federal High Court had ruled that Shaibu failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.
In addition to dismissing the case, the court imposed a fine of ₦1 million against Shaibu, payable to each of the four respondents, which include INEC, the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, and Dr. Asue Ighodalo. The ruling reinforces Ighodalo’s candidacy, solidifying his position as the PDP’s flag bearer in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This judgment marks a significant victory for Ighodalo and the PDP, as the court has now twice validated his nomination process and dismissed all challenges raised against it.