Edo poll: Court dismisses Imasuagbon’s suit challenging Akpata’s candidacy

The Federal High Court sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Monday, dismissed a lawsuit filed by Kenneth Imasuagbon challenging the candidacy of the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata for the 2024 governorship race in the state.

Justice Babatunde Quadri ruled that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit which lacked merit and was based on speculation.

The court also claimed that Imasuagbon failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution mechanisms within the Labour Party before seeking legal action.

The court further held that Imasuagbon’s claim of Akpata not signing the indemnity form was statute-barred and, therefore, lacked jurisdiction.

In its judgment, the court also declared the lawsuit as premature and without substantial evidence to support its claims.

The judge said, “This court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit. It lacks merit and it is based on speculation. The claimant failed to exhaust the internal dispute resolution of the party before seeking legal action hence robbing the court of jurisdiction.

“The claim that Akpata did not sign the indemnity form is status-barred and, therefore, the court lacks jurisdiction.”

The ruling, therefore, upheld Akpata as the LP candidate in the forthcoming state governorship election.

Before now, Imasuangbon had approached the FHC in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, challenging Akpata’s nomination as the party’s candidate because the LP did not follow the electoral guidelines in the primaries, among other grounds.

He also alleged that the conduct of the LP primaries was marred with over voting which is contrary to the party’s constitution.

Akpata was declared winner of the primary election conducted by the Julius Abure faction of the LP, after he defeated Imasuagbon and four others on February 23.

However, the Lamidi Apapa faction had on February 22, 2024, written to the Independent National Electoral Commission that Anderson Asemota and Monday Mawah were the LP governorship candidate and running mate respectively in the state.