The Special Adviser, Media and Communication Strategy to the Governor of Edo State, Crusoe Osagie, has refuted reports that his boss had been barred from participating in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary, slated for June 25 in Edo State.
His reaction came on the heels of media reports that Governor Godwin Obaseki had been stopped by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from participating in the primary election, on account of a suit filed by one of the PDP governorship aspirants in the state, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
Osagie said in a statement that the judge asked that the motion seeking to bar Obaseki be served on the defendants, including his boss, via newspaper publication. “He was not barred,” he clarified.
According to him, one of the major reason Ogbeide-Ihama gave was that Obaseki recently joined the party and only those who purchased the forms during the stipulated window should be allowed to participate in the primary.
In the same vein, a former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Nosa Adams, said the matter would be settled internally, implying that the court had not barred the Edo governor.
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was reported to have barred Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from participating in the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, slated for Thursday, June 25, 2020.
A PDP governorship aspirant in the state, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who had vowed not to step down for Obaseki, instituted the case, according to court documents sighted by our correspondent.
Ogbeide-Ihama had prayed the court to stop Obaseki from participating in the primary on the ground that he only recently joined the party.
In the suit, Ogbeide-Ihama also questioned the validity of Obaseki’s certificates among other grounds.
The defendants in the suit No: FHC/PH/CS/69/2020 are: Prince Uche Secondus, Emmanuel Ogidi, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, Chief Debekeme Boyleyefa, Senator James Manager, Hon. Barr. Ajibola Muraina, People Democratic Party, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
