Edo APC primary: Court adjourns to June 22, dimisses application by Odubu, Obaze

Justice Muhammad Umar of Federal High Court, Benin will next week Monday, June 22 deliver ruling on whether‎ Pastor Kenneth Asekomhe, factional vice chairman of the Edo State APC and Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, who were disqualified as a governorship aspirant of the party, have the locus standi in their suit against the party following their expulsion.

The duo who are defendants in a suit challenging the party from conducting the governorship election in the state through the direct mode was expelled from the APC last week for violating the constitution of the party by going to court without the first exhausting internal mechanism of the party.

When the case came up yesterday, Counsel to the 2nd defendant in the suit (the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomole), Roland Otaru, prayed the court to quash the case stating that the parties involved have been screened out of the primaries while others expelled from the party.

Having listened to his arguments, Justice Umar adjourned the case to Monday 22, June.

In a related development, an application filed by former Edo State deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu and ex-Oredo Local Government Area chairman, Mr Osaro Obazee, seeking to join Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, in a suit to determine the All Progressives Congress party’s mode of primaries scheduled for Monday, June 22.

At yesterday’s sitting, counsel to Ize-Iyamu, Mr Douglas Ogbankwa had prayed the court to allow Odubu and Obaze who were cleared by the party for the primaries to be allowed to be joined in the suit.

Ogbankwa told the court that is their rights joined in the suit, insisting that anything short of that is a breach of their fundamental human rights.

He argued that his clients were the only persons recognised by law and the party and that nobody has come to contest that and therefore, they deserved the right to be joined in the suit.

The judge had listened to his arguments, dismissed his application on the ground that the relief sort in the originating summons did not show the reason for them to be joined in the case.

The trial judge also struck out the application from the 4th defendant (the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar) to be withdrawn from the case.

Counsel to the 4th defendant, Mr M. O. Omosun told Justice Umar of his decision to withdraw from the case.

Also, Counsel to the 2nd defendant (the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomole), Roland Otaru prayed the court to quash the case stating that the parties involved have been screened out of the primaries while others expelled from the party.

The presiding judge has listened to his arguments, however, adjourned the case to Monday 22, June.

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