9th April, 2022
The Edo Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) on Friday announced the suspension of the state local government election scheduled for April 19 over a court judgement.
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had dragged the commission to a Federal High Court in Abuja for not giving the mandatory 90-day notice of election.
The State chapter of PDP has been factionalized with one group loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki governor and another group loyal Dan Orbih, the Deputy Vice Chairman, South-south of the party.
Both factions had issued different notices and fixed different dates for conduct of the primaries for the election
The group loyal to Obaseki had in the “Notice of Election,” signed by Edo PDP’s Organising Secretary, Tony Anenih (Jr.) on March 31, 2022 fixed its primaries for April 5.
However, Orbih’s loyalists in a letter dated March 28, 2022, and signed by the state’s Secretary of the governing party, Hillary Otsu, fixed their primaries for April 2 (today).
But some members of the party loyal to Orbih faction identified as Irene Sylvester, Ayoboh Francis, Edogun Toyin and Ogioba Kelvin had approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order of interim injunction restraining EDOSIEC from going ahead with the council elections slated for April 19, 2022.
Joined as respondents in the exparte motion are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Clerk of the Edo State House of Assembly, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its National Chairman, Prof. Iyiorcha Ayu.
In the motion exparte filed on March 31, the applicants asked the court to restrain, “INEC, its agents, servants, officers, privies, howsoever described, from handing over the voters register covering all the councils in Edo State for the conduct of elections under the Edo State Local Government Electoral Law and the State Independent Electoral Commission Establishment (Re-enactment Law 2017 (as amended in 2022) to the 3rd defendant (Edo State Independent Electoral Commission)”, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice they filed before the court.
In his ruling on 5 April, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the relief sought by the applicants.
The Judge adjourned the suit till April 14, 2022 for hearing of motion for interlocutory injunction.
The decision to suspend the election as contained in a statement signed by Emmanuel Abebe on behalf of the chairman of the commission, retired Justice James Oyomire, and made available to newsmen in Benin was based on the court order.
The statement reads; “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that due to the content of the publication in the Vanguard Newspaper of 7th April 2022.
“By which the Federal High Court Abuja restrained the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission from conducting the Local Government Elections in the State scheduled for 19th April 2022,
“All processes leading to the conduct of the said elections are hereby suspended, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice,” the statement said.