(Benin)
A Benin High Court has affirmed that the Edo state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu as a registered member of the party.
Delivering judgement, the presiding Judge, Justice Emmanuel Ahamioje, said the party’s governorship candidate did not require a waiver to contest.
The Judge maintained that the membership of a party was an internal affair of the political party and hence rendered it non-justiciable before the court, adding that the claimants had not presented convincing evidence to state otherwise.
“I hereby declare that the Osagie Ize-iyamu (third defendant) is qualified to contest, being a registered member of the All Progressives Congress”.
Duaglobalnews recalls that the state Deputy chairman of the party, Kenneth Asekomhe,
Benjamin Oghumu, Mathew Ogbebor and Unweni Nosa, had earlier instituted a suit challenging the decision of APC for granting a waiver to Ize-iyamu, to make him eligible to contest the APC primary election.
Defendants in the suit were the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The claimants predicated their case on the ground that, any waiver purportedly granted by the then National chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, without the approval of the National Executive Committee of the APC and without Osagie Ize-iyamu formally applying for such waiver through his claimed ward, local government area is null, void and of no effect.
They prayed the court to restrain the APC from recognising
Osagie Ize-iyamu as an aspirant of the party in its primary election to select a candidate to represent it in the governorship election.
Addressing Journalists after the judgement, the counsel to the first and second defendants, Victor Ohiosumua, said, “Your Lordship has considered all the processes filed by both parties and has come to the conclusion and judgement, that he has no jurisdiction to determine who a member of a political party is.
“And this is in line with the litany of cases, he has reaffirmed these precedents and said he had no jurisdiction.
“However, to be on a side of caution he also delved into the merit of the case, assuming he has jurisdiction, and he came to conclusion that Osagie Ize-Iyamu is a registered member of APC and is qualified to contest the primaries that held on Monday, June 25.
Reacting to the judgement, the Counsel to the plaintiff, Santos Owootori, said he would study the judgement properly and then discuss with his client the next line of action to take.
