According to a report from The Punch, The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a fresh statement following the Federal High Court's judgment on its primaries.
Despite the court's ruling, the ruling party in Edo State has maintained that the judgment does not affect its governorship candidate for the upcoming election.
Tony Aziegbemi, the state PDP chairman, asserted on Thursday that Asue Ighodalo's candidacy for the 2024 election remains intact.
This response comes after the court on Thursday, July 4, voided the PDP primaries that produced Ighodalo.
As reported by The Punch, the Edo PDP has urged party members to remain calm despite the Abuja High Court's judgment nullifying the party’s primary election held in Benin on February 22.
In a statement signed by Aziegbemi, the party emphasized that Ighodalo is still its candidate for the September 21 governorship election in the state.
The impeached deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, had previously warned the PDP against opposing his candidacy, suggesting that failure to accept him as the candidate could have severe consequences for the party in Edo State.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja voided the February 2024 election that produced Ighodalo on the grounds that 378 delegates who were supposed to vote at the primary were unlawfully excluded by the PDP.
In a swift reaction, the PDP reassured its members that there is no cause for concern regarding the court's decision.
The party's statement read: “PDP is aware that certain elements who are scared of the soaring popularity of our candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo are going about peddling rumors that the candidature of Asue Ighodalo has been nullified.
“Let it be on record that the candidature of Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the flag bearer of the party for the 2024 elections remains intact and that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja did not in any way affect the candidature of Ighodalo.”