The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal seeking to disqualify Asue Ighodalo as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Hamma Barka, delivered the judgment on Friday, affirming the decision of the lower court.
The appeal was filed by governorship aspirants Arthur Esene and Anselm Ojezua, who sought to overturn an earlier ruling by the Abuja federal high court.
The high court, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, had dismissed their suit on the grounds that it was statute-barred.
Omotosho further ruled that the plaintiffs had not provided sufficient evidence to prove their claim that Ighodalo forged his voter’s card.
In delivering the lead judgment, Barka upheld the trial court’s finding, noting that the appellants filed their suit out of time.
He also confirmed that Ighodalo had lawfully applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the transfer of his voter registration from Lagos to Edo State, with INEC issuing him a valid voter’s card.
The appeal was dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded N3 million in costs against the appellants, in favor of Ighodalo, the PDP, and INEC.
Other members of the appeal panel included Justices Usman Musale and Okon Abang.
The Edo governorship election is scheduled for September 21, 2024.