Fresh trouble as court bars Obaseki from PDP primaries

Governor Godwin Obaseki

Okafor Ifiebor

Governor Godwin Obaseki may not be allowed to be part of the June 25 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP primaries for Edo Governorship election if the order of a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt Rivers State is allowed to stand.

Obaseki joined the PDP from the All Progressives Congress, AP,C last Friday in Benin city.

The Edo State Governor was screened and granted waiver to participate in the election by the National Working Commitee of the party in Abuja last Saturday.

But one of the governorship aspirants under the platform of the party, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama filed a suit to stop the Governor from participating in the primaries on several grounds.

The aspirant had argued, among others that Obaseki recently joined the party and that only those who purchased the forms during the stipulated window before the waiver granted Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, who recently defected from the APC should be allowed to partake in the primaries.

He also questioned the validity of Obaseki’s certificates.

The restraining order was given in the late hours of yesterday, June 22, by Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

Joined in the suit are Prince Uche Secondus, National Chairman of PDP, the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission, Chairman of the party’s Screening Committee, Hon.Kingsley Chinda and other members of the committee. Obaseki was named as the eighth defendant in the case

The applicant is seeking a court order to restrain Prince Uche  Secondus and the party from granting Obaseki waiver to buy forms or anyone else to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the timetable initially published for the election.

All the parties in the case were to be served via substituted means.

Substantive hearing in the case has been adjourned till Wednesday 24 June.

The primaries of the PDP is scheduled for June 25, while the Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed the main election for September 19, 2020.

See the court papers below