A Federal High Court in Abuja (Court 29), presided over by Justice Valentine Ashi, on Wednesday, nullified the 2014 Constitution Amendment of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) upon which Senator Ali Modu Sherif was appointed PDP Chairman.
The court said with the nullification, Sheriff is no longer the chairman of the party.
It described the amendment as illegal and a violation of the Electoral Act and declared all action carried out with it including anybody parading himself as officer of the PDP as illegal.
In a related development, policemen have cordoned off the entrance to Stadium Road by Akenzua Junction, Benin, Edo State with vehicles and the gates to the stadium locked.
The Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium is the scheduled venue for the planned governorship primary of Sheriff-led faction of the PDP in Benin.
Mathew Iduoriyekemwen and Rep. Johnson Agbonayinma are the two aspirants for the governorship ticket.
Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Chris Eziken said, “I am not INEC. It is too early to find out if the primary will hold or not. You can call me back in the afternoon to find out.”
Asked if INEC would witness the exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Sam Olumekun, said only the national headquarters could comment on the matter.
A member of the Caretaker Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the primary would be held as scheduled but that they were looking for another venue.
The Ahmed Markafi-led PDP faction held its primary on June 20 at the same venue which produced Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its candidate.
Ize-Iyamu defeated Iduoriyekemwen and Chief Solomon Edebiri at the primary, but Iduoriyekemwen later joined the Sheriff faction after he faulted the process of the primary.
