A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Phillips Shaibu, the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, which sought to invalidate the results of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary held on February 22. The primary was won by Asue Ighodalo.
Justice James Omotosho ruled that Shaibu lacked the legal standing to challenge the primary's outcome as he did not fully participate in it and was absent from the venue on the day it was conducted.
The judge also noted that Shaibu's suit was premature because he had not utilized the party's internal dispute resolution mechanisms before approaching the court.
As a PDP member, Shaibu is required to adhere to the party’s rules, which mandate that an aggrieved aspirant must first seek redress through the party’s Appeal Committee before resorting to litigation. The court found sufficient evidence to confirm that Ighodalo won the primary legitimately.
