A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, dismissed a suit by impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shuaibu and others, seeking to invalidate Asue Ighodalo’s nomination as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the governorship election in the state.
The off-cycle election is to hold on Sept. 21.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment held that the suit, which challenged Ighodalo’s disqualification on the grounds of alleged forgery of voters’ card, was statute barred.
Justice Omotosho also held that the suit, being a pre-election case, was filed outside the 14 days allowed under Section 285(9) of the Constitution.
The judge averred that even though forgery or non-possession of a voters’ card was a disqualifying factor under Section 182 of the Constitution, the plaintiffs failed to prove that Ighodalo forged his voters card as alleged.