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The decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize then candidates produced by the Dan Orbih-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State as the flag-bearers of the party for the 2023 election, has sparked an endless crisis in the state chapter of the PDP. Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, reports.
LAST week, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced its decision to recognize the candidates produced by the Dan Orbih-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State as the flag-bearers of the party for the 2023 election. The development had left Governor Godwin Obaseki’s faction of the party without contenders in the general election and the governor is not about to let go without a serious fight. Already, another court order is threatening INEC’s decision even as Orbih and his faction are heading to a higher court.
The Nation gathered that a fierce struggle by the two factions to ensure that they have in the names of their preferred candidates on the ballot has ensued ahead of the 2023 general elections. There will be no governorship election in Edo state next year as the tenure of the current governor will not end until 2024. Thus, all attentions are on the National Assembly and State Assembly seats. This perhaps, explains why the struggle for the control of the structure of the ruling PDP has been tense between Obaseki and Orbih.
The supremacy battle between Governor Obaseki’s faction and the faction led by Orbih, the party National Vice Chairman South South led to the conduct of parallel primary elections in May this year. While Orbih assured the winners of the primary election conducted by his faction that it is their names that will be forwarded to INEC by the party, the state party chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, had in August presented certificate of return to those that emerged winner from the governor’s faction primaries.
Expectedly, the parallel primaries resulted in litigations and a high court ruling recognized those that emerged from Orbih’s faction primaries. However, Obaseki-led camp had appealed the judgement and the matter is still before the Court of Appeal. Both faction and their candidates remained optimistic that they were going to have the last laugh even as reconciliation efforts by concerned stakeholders within and outside the state continued to fail. “The two factions are not helping the reconciliation process largely because they are confident that their candidates will be recognized by INEC. With such mindsets, a truce is difficult,” a source said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognized candidates produced by the Dan Orbih faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as qualified standard bearers of the party in the forthcoming 2023 elections. Checks by our correspondent at the INEC office in Benin, capital of the state, revealed that a comprehensive list on the notice board had all the PDP candidates on the list were the winners who emerged from the primaries conducted by the Orbih’s faction. And the reason for the commission’s decision is clearly stated on the list as “court order.”
INEC’s stance
Last July, INEC had written to the PDP, insisting that it only recognised the list of candidates produced at the primary election held by the Orbih’s faction in May, in accordance with a court order. Following an order by Justice Ekwo, INEC in a letter dated June 27, 2022 and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony and addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, asking the party to forward the list recognized by court to the commission. Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court 5, Abuja, had in his judgment in the Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/808/2022, issued an order directing INEC to only accept and recognise the candidates that emerged from the Dan Orbih faction on May 18.
The plaintiffs had, in their suit argued by their counsel, Dr John Musa,(SAN) asked the court to determine whether PDP, in view of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Section 15 of the PDP constitution can jettison their election monitored by INEC for another one conducted in violation of the provisions of the relevant laws. They also asked the court to determine whether the defendants can, on their own jettison the authentic delegates for others whose purported election is unknown to any law. In his judgment, Justice Ekwo after scrutinising the documentary evidence, including the report of INEC on its monitoring of the April 30th delegates election, agreed with the plaintiffs that they were validly and legally elected as authentic Ad-hoc delegates for the Edo State chapter of the PDP.
INEC in the letter titled, “Notification of pending orders in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/807/2022 between Dr. Michael Onolememen & 2 Ors. V. INEC; Suit No. FHC/ABJ/808/ between Barr. Nosa Adams & 8 Prs. V. INEC and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/809/2022 between Christabel O. Ekwu & 23 Ors. V. INEC and the need to comply with them” asked PDP to comply with the order. INEC letter read, “The Commission hereby draws the attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the order of the Court arising from the three (3) suits listed above. In line with the order of Court, the Commission is restrained from accepting and recognizing any list of candidates other than the list containing the names of the plaintiffs as the PDP’s duly nominated candidates for the election of the seats of senators representing the senatorial zones of Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central of Edo State; the twenty-four House of Assembly constituencies across Edo State. Accordingly, the Commission expects the PDP to forward the nomination forms of the respective candidates as ordered by the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
The Nation
