….The Court okays Accelerated Hearing and Determination of Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction
….Orders Status quo be Maintained Until the Matter is Heard
….INEC, PDP, Others Must Not Recognise Obaseki as an Aspirant Until Determination of the Suit
By Chris Udochukwu
Benin City (Precise Post) – Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has been barred by a Federal High Court from taking party in the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Precise Post recalls that the PDP’s primary election is scheduled for 25 June, 2020.
The restraining order followed a suit filed against Obaseki by a fellow aspirant, Ogbeide-Ihama saying the governor did not purchase PDP form or undergo screening within the time-table schedule.
The ban order was given 22 June by Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
Joined in the suit are Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission, chairman of the party screening committee, Kingsley Chinda and other members of the committee.
Obaseki, an APC renegade, was named as the eighth defendant in the case.
The applicant is seeking a court order to restrain Secondus and the party from allowing Obaseki to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the timetable initially published for the election.
Justice Obile granted the interim injunction as requested.
Recall that the PDP, mindful of the legal minefield announced a waiver for Obaseki, to enable him to participate in the primary election, even though he joined the party only on Friday 19 June last week.
The party also reconvened the Chinda screening committee which had ended its assignment on 5 June
The committee specially screened Obaseki on Saturday 20 June.
All the parties in the case were to be served via substituted means.
Substantive hearing in the case has been adjourned till Wednesday 24 June.
Precise Post is of the view that both in the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party, the shape of the September 19 Edo governorship election still appears uncertain yet.
