The Director-General of the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation for the September 21, Governorship Election in the state, Hon. Matthew Aigbuhenze Iduoriyekemwen, has faulted the Thursday judgement by Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the National Judicial Council (NJC) to call the judge to order.
Recall that Justice Ekwo in a judgment held that the PDP’s primary election held on February 22, 2024, failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act Act 2022, the guidelines for the conduct of the poll and the PDP Constitution.
The judge held that from the exhibit presented by the respondents (PDP), he found that the returning officers who prepared the results sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome of the poll.
Justice Ekwo also held that 378 authentic delegates scheduled for the primary election were excluded from participating in the process held at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
Reacting to the judgment, Iduoriyekemwen described the ruling as a miscarriage of justice, biased, adding that the PDP was not surprised by the outcome of the case.
“Today, July 4, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja praised over by Hon. Justice Ekwo entered a judgment in Suit. No. FHC/ABJ/CS/165 of 2024 which was filed by some persons who claimed that they were wrongly excluded from participating in the choice of the PDP flagbearer in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo State.
“In a strange development and contrary to a long line of Appellate Courts’ decision on the subject, Justice Ekwo held that the issue of Ward Congresses and the choice of delegates are purely internal affairs of political parties outside the jurisdiction of any court.
“We are confident that this new decision will not survive the test of appeal and all necessary steps in that regard are already being actively pursued
“Furthermore, it must be noted that the claim in question and the judgment which arose therefrom did not in any shape or form invalidate or even challenge the outcome of the party primaries which produced the candidate of the PDP for the forthcoming elections”, he posited.
According to Iduoriyekemwen, the decision of the Judge is contrary to the stories making the rounds, which according to him, were spread by mischief markers, arguing that “the PDP primaries held on February 22, were not set aside outside and neither was any order given affecting the outcome of same”.
He, however, enjoined members and supporters of the party as well as the people of Edo State to remain calm and ignore the antics of mischief markers, assuring that the falsity of the assertion would be made clear in the fullness of time and upon release of the actual judgement for public consumption.