.As Kadiri emerges running mate
A Governorship aspirant of the Labour Party (LP), Kenneth Imansuangbon, yesterday, asked the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or any other agent from recognising Olumide Akpata as the governorship candidate of the party for the September 21 Edo governorship election.
He also called for the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued to Akpata as the purported winner of the LP primary.
In suit No. FHC B/CS/26/2024, filed at the Benin division of the Federal High Court by his counsel, A.A. Malik & Co, Imansuangbon said that LP, which is the 2nd defendant in the suit, erred by declaring Akpata the winner of the party’s primary conducted on February 23, 2024.
This is also as the aspirant filed another suit in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, alleging that Akpata and his running mate lied under oath and supplied false information to INEC.
In the Abuja suit filed on April 12, 2024, Akpata, who is the 1st defendant, was joined in the suit by his running mate, Alufohai Faith, LP and INEC as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, respectively.
In the Benin suit, Imansuangbon said that Akpata was not qualified to have contested the primary, having violated Section 222(C) of the Nigeria Constitution, as well as Article 28 of the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the primary.
Imansuangbon further averred that votes garnered by the 1st defendant in the primary be declared invalid and wasted.
The plaintiff, who listed nine issues for determination and 18 others for declaration by the court, asked the court to set aside the LP’s February 23 governorship primary in Edo State.
Meanwhile, LP has ratified the choice of Prince Yusuf Asamah Kadiri from Auchi, Etsako West Local Council as running mate to Akpata.
The Edo State Chairman of LP, Kelly Ogbaloi, who confirmed the choice of Asamah, said that the decision was taken at a meeting in Benin.
Ogbaloi disclosed that Oluyinka Alufohai from Owan West Local Council, who was earlier announced as running mate to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), was dropped, as she was a placeholder.
Ogboloi dispelled insinuations that Alufohai was dropped over discrepancies in her date of birth and the year she finished secondary school in form EC28, which she submitted to INEC.
