A Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, has dismissed a case that aimed to prevent Barrister Asue Ighodalo from being the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the upcoming Edo State governorship election.

The lawsuit, filed by Anselm Ojeizu, another PDP governorship hopeful, was considered premature by the court. The suit was filed on March 6, but Justice Egwuatu ruled that Ojeizu had not followed the PDP’s required internal procedures before taking the issue to court.

Justice Egwuatu agreed with Ighodalo’s lawyer, Mr. Akinlolu Kehinde, that Ojeizu should have first approached the PDP’s internal appeal panel to resolve his grievances. Bypassing this step was a violation of the party’s mandatory rules.

Ojeizu wanted the court to cancel the February 22 primary election, which declared Ighodalo as the PDP’s candidate. Ojeizu claimed that the election, held at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, did not follow the Electoral Act 2022 and PDP’s guidelines, alleging the use of a fake delegate list.

However, Justice Egwuatu emphasized that it is essential for any aggrieved candidate to use the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before seeking legal action, in line with Supreme Court decisions.

Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer and investment banker, won the PDP primary on February 22, receiving 577 votes. He defeated several other aspirants, who all scored zero, with six voided votes out of 585 accredited delegates. The result was announced by Alhaji Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State and the Chief Returning Officer of the Edo PDP Gubernatorial Primaries.