Court Dismisses Suit Seeking to Sack Akpata as Edo LP Gov Candidate
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to void the nomination of Olumide Akpata as the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
In a judgment on Wednesday, July 17, Justice James Omotosho, upheld the arguments by Akpata’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, (SAN) that the plaintiffs were without the locus standi (the legal right) to institute the suit.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/300/24 was filed by Anderson Asemota, a factional governorship candidate of LP; Monday Mawah, a deputy governorship candidate, and Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, listed as acting national Chairman of LP.
Listed as defendants were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Olumide Akpata and the Labour Party (LP)
Justice Omotosho held that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to have approached the court on the issue because they did not participate in the February 23, 2024 primary of the LP from which Akpata emerged as the party’s candidate.
The judge also found that the issue was about the nomination of candidate, which forms part of the internal affairs of a political party.
