Court fixes June 11 for hearing of suit on Edo APC primary

A federal high court in Edo state has fixed June 11 for hearing the substantive suit challenging the mode of direct primary to be used by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in it governorship primary election.

The national working committee headed by Adams Oshiomhole had reached settled for direct primary but the faction of Edo APC loyal to Godwin Obaseki, the governor, had insisted on indirect primary.

Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, a governorship aspirant of the party, had approached the court seeking an order restraining the party from proceeding with the direct primary.

According to the plaintiff, the APC constitution provides that states are at liberty to suggest the mode of primaries to the national working committee of the party and that they have suggested indirect primaries.

Joined as defendants in the suit were Oshiomhole, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the inspector general of police (IGP).

All parties in the suit had legal representation at the court session on Monday.

At the resumed session on Monday, G. Umar, the presiding judge, ordered all parties in the suit to maintain status quo, that is, withhold from taking further action regarding the primary election, pending the hearing of the suit on Thursday.

It usually takes 14 days for the court to hear a matter of this nature but the judge fixed Thursday for hearing.