A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has refused to bar Godwin Obaseki, the Edo State Governor, from participating in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primary election slated for Thursday, Premium Times reports.
The suit was instituted by one of the governorship aspirants of the PDP, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who had vowed not to step down for Mr Obaseki.
A major reason stated by Mr Ogbeide-Ihama was that Mr Obaseki recently joined the party and only those who purchased the forms during the stipulated window should be allowed to participate in the primary election.
Just like Mr Obaseki’s former party, the APC, Mr Ogbeide-Ihama also questioned his educational credentials.
Mr Ogbeide-Ihama also prayed that the primaries be put on hold pending when the court would hear the motion on notice.
The judge, E. A Obile, however, did not grant the prayer. The judge asked that the motion seeking to bar Mr Obaseki be served on the defendants, including Mr Obaseki via newspaper publication.
Several newspapers, had on Tuesday reported that Mr. Obaseki who was granted a waiver to contest under the PDP had been barred by the court from contesting the election. Those accounts of the court proceeding were inaccurate.
Mr Obaseki joined the People’s Democratic Party on Friday after he was disqualified by his former party, APC, from seeking re-election allegedly for submitting questionable certificates. He was granted waiver by the PDP to contest the gubernatorial election under the party (PDP).