Deborah Onyofufeke, Abuja
The Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissed the appeal instituted at the apex court by the Dan Orbih, led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, against the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, for lacking in merit and not justiciable.

The Court in it’s judgment delivered by  Justice Emmanuel Agim, held that leadership disagreement in political parties is an internal affair and as such, the courts have no jurisdiction for it.

He added that political parties should endeavour to always adhere strictly to their guidelines, rules, and regulations in order to promote genuine democracy.

The appeal which was marked SC/CV/979/2022, filed by Monday Osagie, sought the order of the apex court to authenticate and declare the ad hoc delegate elections conducted by Dan Orbhi’s faction of the party as the real one and invalidate that of Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s faction.

Governir Obaseki and Orbhi have been in a cold war over who controls the Edo PDP.

Atiku not answer to Igbo presidency, says Ohaneze

Recall that the court of Appeal in July, upturned the judgement of the federal High Court Abuja, which was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo.

The appellate court had held that the ad-hoc delegates produced by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led faction of the party, is the authentic one.

Meanwhile, Justice Ekwo, at the trial court, had delivered his judgement, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or accepting the list of ad-hoc delegates produced by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led faction of PDP for Edo State.

Ekwo declared the ad-hoc delegates produced by the Dan Orbih faction of the party as the authentic delegates that must be recognized and accepted.

He made the declaration while he delivered judgement in a suit instituted by 581 delegates elected on April 30.

Ekwo, in the judgement, held that PDP and other defendants in the suit were bound by Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as Section 15 of the PDP constitution relating to delegates elections.

The 581 delegates had instituted the suit marked FHC/Abj/ CS/598/2022 through their five representatives – Hon. Monday Osagie, Hon. Reuben Ekhosuehi, Hon. Adeyanba Osaro, Hon. Magdalene Osawe, and Hon. Imariabe Oghogho.

Meanwhile, PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, and INEC were listed as 1st to 5th defendants, respectively in the suit

The reliefs sought by the plaintiffs in the suit, argued by Dr. John Musa, included a determination whether the PDP in view of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act, 2022, and Section 15 of the PDP constitution could jettison their election monitored by INEC for another one conducted in violation of the provisions of the relevant laws.

Another dispute for which they sought determination was whether the defendants could on their own jettison the authentic delegates for others whose purported election was unknown to any law.