Hon. Dennis Idahosa, a member of the House of Representatives, has filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/274/2024 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to declare Sen. Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the party’s primary election for the 2024 Edo State governorship race.
In the originating summons supported by a 36-paragraph affidavit, Idahosa claims that he won the APC primary election conducted on February 17, 2024, with 40,453 votes, while Okpebholo secured only 100 votes. The suit, which also has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a defendant, seeks the court’s determination of several questions bordering on the legality of the APC’s actions.
In the written address filed in support of the originating summons, Idahosa’s counsel, Bode Olanipekun, SAN, of Wole Olanipekun & Co., argues that the attempt to substitute Okpebholo for Idahosa is a disregard for the fundamental principles of internal democracy, fairness, and transparency in the conduct of party primaries.
The counsel maintains that Idahosa emerged as the winner of the primary election and was duly declared by the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and ratified by a special congress in line with the Electoral Act.
The written address also questions the legality of the APC’s decision to “complete” the primary election process on February 22, 2024, where Okpebholo was declared the winner with 12,433 votes, and Idahosa was allocated 6,541 votes.
The counsel argues that the purported “completion” exercise was not a continuation of the primary election held on February 17, 2024, as Idahosa’s 40,453 votes were not nullified or set aside at any point in the process.
Relying on several legal authorities, including recent Supreme Court decisions, the counsel submits that the APC is bound by the outcome of the primary election conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.
The counsel urges the court to declare Idahosa as the validly nominated candidate of the APC and to compel the party to submit his name to INEC as its candidate for the 2024 Edo State governorship election.
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyer