Edo Gov’ship: PDP dismisses misinterpretation of court ruling on primary, candidate

• …says 7 out of 8 cases against Party dispensed with 
• …as campaign council holds inaugural meeting

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has shrugged off attempts to misinterpret a recent court ruling on its primary election and the status of its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the National Campaign Council for the Edo State Governorship Election in Abuja on Saturday, the party’s National Legal Adviser, Barr. Kamarudeen Ajibade (SAN), expressed the PDP’s confidence in its position and its determination to move forward with its campaign despite the misinterpretation.

He explained that the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement confirms the party’s position that its candidate emerged through a credible process; as such, there was no cause to fear.

Ajibade said, “Everyone was taken aback the day before yesterday when the news broke that our governorship primary was annulled and our candidate was disqualified.

“We had eight (8) cases in Edo; seven (7) of those cases are done with. It is normal that when your party is popular, contention is normal. The court did not nullify our primary.

“The case before the court was the issue of delegates, and there is a court pronouncement that such matters are the internal affairs of the party.

“And only a person who contests in a party primary has the locus standi to challenge it in court. This is not the first time we are handling such an issue.”

To members of the campaign council, Ajibade said, “Don’t be discouraged; you can take the CTC and see for yourselves our candidate is unshaken.”

Earlier, Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, in his address of welcome, charged committee members to prepare for the task ahead.

He said, “We are well aware that that task before us is not an easy one; it requires a lot of commitment from us all.

“Governor Obaseki’s track record is enough for us to have and make the Edo state election a good one for our party.

“It is not an easy task; it requires a lot of commitment from us. We are all politicians, and what we understand is to win this election.

“We are here to discuss the nitty gritty for our success. The secretary will share us into committees to make our job easier.”

Fintiri enjoined party leaders from Edo State to join hands with the candidate and the committee to ensure the success of the campaigns and the election proper.