By Jethro Ibileke
Justice Emmanuel Ahamojie of Benin City High Court Thursday affirmed Pastor Osagie Ize-iyamu as a registered member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Factional state deputy chairman of the party, Kenneth Asekomhe, Benjamin Oghumu, Mathew Ogbebor and Unweni Nosa, had challenged the decision of the All Progressives Congress for granting a waiver to Ize-Iyamu, to make him eligible to contest the APC primary election.
Defendants in the suit are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
They predicated their case on the ground that any waiver granted by the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, without the approval of the National Executive Committee of the APC and without Osagie Ize-Iyamu formally applying for such waiver through his claimed ward, local government area, is null, void and of no effect.
The plaintiffs also prayed the court to restrain the APC from recognising Osagie Ize-Iyamu as an aspirant of the party in its primary election, to select its flag-bearer for the governorship election.
Delivering judgement in the case, Justice Ahamojie noted that the party’s governorship candidate doesn’t require a waiver to contest.
Ahamojie maintained that the membership of a party is an internal affair of the political party and hence, render it non-justiciable before the court.
He added that the claimants have not presented convincing evidence to state otherwise.
“I hereby declare that the Osagie Ize-Iyamu (third defendant) is qualified to contest being a registered member of the All Progressives Congress,” Ahamojie siad.
Counsel to the Plaintiffs, Santos Owootori Esq., said they will study the judgement properly and then discuss the next line of action.