…as PDP holds Edo guber primary today
The member representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Hon Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama has stepped down for Governor Godwin Obaseki in the coming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary.
Omoregie also promised to withdraw the court case he filed over the matter today.
He made the decision after all the aspirants for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primary in Edo State agreed to settle out of court.
The Federal High court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, had on Tuesday restrained the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki from participating in the PDP primary election.
Ogbeide-Ihiama had approached the court asking for the Governor, who just joined the PDP from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to be stopped from participating in the primaries.
Ogbeide-Ihiama argued that since Obaseki was not part of the candidates screened by the PDP National Working Committee, NWC initially before the date on the timetable lapsed, he should not be allowed to participate in the primaries.
However, on Wednesday morning, all the parties in the Edo PDP governorship primary election case holding in the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, agreed to settle their squabbles out of court.
Lead Counsel to the Plaintiff, Ferdinand Orbir, according to a report, at the resumed hearing of the matter this morning, told the court that they have served all the parties to the suit as ordered by the court, the originating summons and also published the order in two national newspapers.
He, however, told the court that the parties have opted for out of court settlement.
Relatedly, a total of 2,229 delegates, are expected to decide who emerges as the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Edo State governorship election, slated to hold on September 19, 2020.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan disclosed this, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said the party followed due process in line with its time-tested procedures of electing eligible delegates, who had the responsibility of electing the most suitable candidate among the array of eligible aspirants seeking to fly the party’s flag in the governorship election.
Ologbondiyan also said, “All sensitive and non-sensitive materials have been dispatched to the state.
The election will be carried out in strict compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Members of the Governorship Primary Election Committee are already in Benin for the exercise.”
Four persons initially obtained the expression of interest and nomination forms and were screened and cleared to contest.
Apart from Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, the other aspirants are Gideon Ikhine, Ogbeide-Ihama and Kenneth Imasuagbon.
Two of the aspirants have stepped down for Obaseki.
