A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Phillips Shaibu, the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, challenging the legitimacy of the February 22 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, which was won by Asue Ighodalo.
Justice James Omotosho ruled that Shaibu lacked the standing to challenge the primary’s outcome as he did not participate fully and was absent from the venue during the election.
Additionally, the court determined that Shaibu’s lawsuit was premature since he did not exhaust the PDP’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms before turning to the judiciary.
The judge stated that as a member of the PDP, Shaibu was required to follow the party’s rules, which mandate that aggrieved members seek redress through the party’s Appeal Committee before proceeding to court.
Justice Omotosho also found ample evidence supporting Ighodalo’s victory in the primary.
News About Nigeria reported in April that Shaibu had accused Ighodalo of being involved in his impeachment, a process initiated by the Edo State House of Assembly following a report by a seven-man panel investigating allegations of misconduct against him.
In a statement, Ighodalo’s media team strongly denied these allegations, calling them false and an attempt to damage his reputation.
“Mr. Asue Ighodalo has had no role or involvement in any form whatsoever in the very public process leading to Mr. Shaibu’s impeachment and subsequent removal from office by the Edo State House of Assembly,” the statement read.
“These claims are completely without merit, and Mr. Ighodalo categorically denies any such involvement. These allegations are a clear attempt to unjustly tarnish his reputation and divert attention from the actual issues at hand.”
Ighodalo urged the public to dismiss the accusations as unfounded and aimed at creating a false narrative.
