Politics

Edo Guber: Shaibu Drags Ighodalo, PDP, Others to Court, Wants Primary Nullified

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic has taken a twist as deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, has requested a Federal High Court, Abuja , to nullify the governorship primary that produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/308/2024, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the 1st Defendant, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the 2nd Defendant, South-South Vice Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih is the 3rd Defendant while Asue Ighodalo as the 4th Defendant.

The deputy governor through his counsel, Doyin Awoyale, SAN, is also seeking an order of the court directing the 2nd Defendant (PDP) to withdraw forthwith the Certificate of Return issued to the 4th Defendant (Ighodalo).

According to the deputy governor, the governorship primary that produced the 4th Defendant (Ighodalo) is invalid and unlawful, further arguing that the conduct contravened the provisions of the 2nd Defendant’s (PDP) Constitution and the Electoral Act.

He further sought an order of injunction restraining the 4th Defendant from parading himself as the duly nominated Governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election scheduled for the 21st of September 2024.

The originating summons reads: “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the Ist Defendant from accepting and/or recognizing the name of the 4th Defendant as the Governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the 2024 Edo State Governorship election scheduled to be conducted by the 1st Defendant on the 21 of September 2024.

“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court restraining the Defendants by themselves and/agents, representatives, organs chapters, etc from tampering with and/or discarding the delegates lists that emerged from the 2nd Defendant’s congresses of 4th February 2024 and 10th February, 2024 conducted by the National Working Committee of the 2nd Defendant.

“AN ORDER of this Honourable Court mandating the 2nd Defendant to conduct a fresh Governorship Primary Election for the Nomination of the Governorship Candidate for the 2nd Defendant in the 2024 Edo

He further sought reliefs “that A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Sections 84 (1), (5B) & (13) of the Electoral Act, 2022; Article 15 (2) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2nd Defendant’s Electoral Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, it is only Ad Hoc Delegates that emerge from a Special Local Government Area Congress and Special Ward Congresses conducted by the 2nd Defendant National Working Committee (NWC) that are eligible to vote in the Edo State PDP Governorship Primary Election held on the 22nd February, 2024.

“A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 84(1), (5B), (8) and (13) of the Electoral Act 2022; Articles 15(2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2^{ND} Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2^{ND} Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, the 2nd Defendant cannot alter, modify, amend, exclude or substitute the list of ad hoc delegates from a Special Local Government Area Congress and Special Ward Congresses conducted by the 2nd Defendant National Working Committee (NWC) who emerged as delegates for the purpose of nominating the Edo State PDP Governorship Candidate in the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election scheduled for the 21 of September 2024?

“A DECLARATION that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 84 (1), (2), (5B) & 13 of the Electoral Act, 2022; Articles 15 (2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2^{ND} Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2ND Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election, the purported Governorship Primary Election conducted by the 2nd Defendant at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin-City on the 22nd of February 2024, from where the 4th Defendant purportedly emerged as the Governorship Candidate of the 2ND Defendant, is null and void.

“A DECLARATION that the 1 Defendant is not entitled to accept or recognize the 4th Defendant as the duly nominated governorship candidate of the 2nd Defendant in Edo State for the 21th of September 2024 Governorship Election, having emerged from an invalid, unlawful and illegal primaries conducted contrary to Section 84(1), (5B), (8) and (13) of the Electoral Act 2022; Articles 15(2), 50 (1), (2B) of the 2nd Defendant’s Constitution; Part 1 Paragraph 1 (A), (B) and Part 1 Paragraph 1 (1) of the 2ND Defendant’s Guidelines for Governorship Primary Election.”

Related Topics:Asue Ighodalo Ighodalo Shaibu

Up Next

Atiku Denies Quitting PDP, Slams Tinubu

Don't Miss

Edo Guber: TCO Congratulates Okpebholo On His Emergence As APC Candidate

Comments

Politics

Ambassadorial Nominees: Ndume Asks Tinubu To Withdraw List

Published

16 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

Ahead of the Senate’s screening and confirmation of the ambassadorial nominees sent to the Red Chamber by the Presidency, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list from parliament.

The federal lawmaker declared that the composition of nominees was in clear breach of the Federal Character principle, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Checks revealed that while certain states have three and four nominees, states like Gombe have no representation, while the only nominee from Yobe, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died last July.

The entire North East state has 7 nominees in the list.

Further checks revealed that the South West geopolitical zone has 15 nominees, while the North West and South East have 13 and 9, respectively.

North Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, while South South region has 12 nominees.

The Senate President at plenary on Thursday formally read the list of nominees and referred it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative action.

The Senator representing Borno South in a statement issued on Saturday maintained that the list of nominees was in clear breach of Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution which mandates that the composition and conduct of the federal government must reflect the “federal character of Nigeria” to ensure national unity and loyalty.

The section reads: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

The former Chief Whip of the Senate admonished President Tinubu to avoid taking decision that will fuel ethnic tension and promote distrust in the country, amidst the wrong narrative being promoted by the Western world against his administration.

He said: “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.

“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholders in the country.

“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on Federal Character Principle that government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

4 days ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

5 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.