The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, has been dragged to the Federal High Court (FHC) in Benin and Abuja by the party’s governorship aspirant,, Kenneth Imansuangbon, who is seeking his disqualification.

Imansuangbon, a billionaire philanthropist, who is popularly referred to as “Riceman”, given his regular distribution of bags of rice to Edo residents in the 18 local government areas, wanted the court to prevent Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), from being the party’s standard bearer for the September 21, 2024 election.

In the suit with reference number: FHC B/CS/26/2024, and filed at the Benin division of FHC by his counsel, A.A. Malik, Imansuangbon stated that LP, the second defendant, erred by declaring Akpata the winner of the party’s primary poll, conducted on February 23, 2024.

In the Abuja suit, also seen yesterday in Benin by our reporter, Imansuangbon, a lawyer, alleged that Akpata, the first defendant, lied under oath, and supplied false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the Benin suit, Imansuangbon claimed that Akpata was not qualified to have contested the primary election, having violated the provisions of Section 222 (c) of the Nigeria Constitution, as amended, and Article 28 of the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the primary poll, declaring that the votes garnered by the first defendant in the primary election be declared invalid.

The plaintiff (Imansuangbon), who listed nine issues for determination, and 18 others for declaration by the court, asked the presiding judge to set aside LP’s February 23 governorship primary election in Edo state.

Imansuangbon asked the court to determine if Akpata was qualified to have contested the primary poll, having failed to sign/endorse the indemnity form issued to him by the second defendant (LP), and if the party conducted the primary poll in a manner outlined, prescribed or otherwise circumscribed by Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The plaintiff asked the court to bar INEC or any other agent from recognising Akpata as the governorship candidate of LP for the September 21 Edo governorship election.

He also called for the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued by LP to Akpata, while demanding N20 million as the cost of the suit, and asked that a fresh primary election be conducted, not later than 30 days of the judgment of the court. (The Nation)

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