Court Stops Obaseki From Participating In Edo PDP Primary

Another hurdle appears to have been thrown on the path of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s participation in Thursday’s governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State.

This comes as a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has granted an ex parte order barring the PDP in Edo from allowing Governor Obaseki to take part in the exercise.

Justice Emmanuel Obile gave the order on Monday after granting the application filed by one of the PDP aspirants in Edo, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who said he would not step down for the governor.

He also ordered that the parties in the suit should be served through substituted means, in two national dailies.

The judge, thereafter, adjourned the matter until June 24 for the hearing of the summon.

In the suit filed before the court on Monday, Ogbeide-Ihama sought an order of interim injunction to retrain members of the PDP, except those who purchased the forms during the stipulated timetable from participating in the primary, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The defendants in the suit included PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, the party, and Governor Obaseki.

Also listed as defendants were five members of the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP had fixed June 19 and 20 to conduct the governorship primary in Edo but shifted the date to June 23, and later June 25.

Following his defection to the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PDP had granted Governor Obaseki a waiver to contest for an elective office on its platform.

The governor was screened on Sunday by a five-man committee led by Kingsley Chinda with Boyele Debekeme as the secretary.