Two courts have given Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State the all-clear to contest in the forthcoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Guber primary in the state.
The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and another in Ekpopa, Edo State, on Tuesday, gave the incumbent the go-ahead to participate in Thursday’s exercise.
Mr Obaseki was granted a waiver by the PDP recently after he joined the opposition party from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The suit in Port Hacourt 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 that prayer. The judge asked that the motion seeking to bar Mr Obaseki be served on the defendants including Mr Obaseki via newspaper publication.
Several platforms, including KAFTANPost Tuesday reported that Mr Obaseki had been barred by the court from contesting the election.
Similarly, the High Court of Justice in Ekpoma, on Tuesday evening, restrained the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from removing, excluding, preventing or purporting to exclude or prevent any of the aspirants from contesting.
Mr Obaseki joined the PDP on Friday after he was disqualified by his former party, APC, from seeking re-election allegedly for submitting questionable certificates.
