Edo: Court affirms Kadiri as LP deputy gov candidate

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday affirmed Yusuf Kadiri (SAN) as the deputy governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Edo State gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

LP confirmed this in a statement, calling it a well-considered judgment delivered by the court in “Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/556/2024 between LABOUR PARTY & 3 OTHERS against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

According to the statement, the judge stated clearly that the process of the nomination of Kadiri as the deputy governorship candidate of LP “over-complied” with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act and subsidiary guidelines, as well as the Constitution of the Labour Party.

“The court consequently ordered INEC to accept and process the substitution of Alhaji Yusuf Kadiri as the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, and accordingly publish his name in the list of candidates,” the statement read.

LP had earlier this year ratified the choice of Kadiri from Auchi, Etsako West Local Council as running mate to Olumide Akpata.

The Edo State Chairman of LP, Kelly Ogbaloi, who confirmed the choice of Kadiri, said that the decision was taken at a meeting in Benin. Ogbaloi disclosed that Oluyinka Alufohai from Owan West Local Council, who was earlier announced as running mate to the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), was dropped as she was a placeholder.

Ogbaloi dispelled insinuations that Alufohai was dropped over discrepancies in her date of birth and the year she finished secondary school in form EC28, which she submitted to INEC.