Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State
The battle for supremacy in Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has come to an end with the Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissing an appeal instituted at the apex Court by the Dan Orbih-led faction against Governor Godwin Obaseki and his group.
The suit which sought the order of the apex court to authenticate the ad hoc delegate elections conducted by Dan Orbhi’s faction and to invalidate another one conducted by Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s faction, was dismissed on technical grounds.
In a judgment by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court held that the issue of leadership by political parties is an internal affair and as such, the courts have no jurisdiction.
In the appeal marked SC/CV/979/2022, filed by Monday Osagie, the Supreme Court said that the appeal lacked merit because it is not justiciable.
Justice Agim who delivered the unanimous judgment asked political parties to always adhere strictly to their guidelines, rules and regulations in order to promote genuine democracy.
With this ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may have to rejig the list of names for candidates for the National Assembly and State Elections in Edo State in favour of those of the governor, who, in the party’s constitution, is the leader of the party in the state. In the event that the national officials of the party failed to monitor the primaries conducted by the governor’s faction, the party may have to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days in the state.
