The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon, challenging the candidacy of Olumide Akpata as the Labour Party’s candidate for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, set for September 21, 2024.
In the judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the court ruled that Imansuangbon had not exhausted the intra-party conflict resolution mechanisms within the Labour Party before seeking legal redress. This failure, according to the court, rendered his suit premature.
The three-man panel also highlighted that Imansuangbon did not submit the disputed results of the February 23 primary election, which he claimed to have won. Without these results, the court found his case lacking in merit.
This ruling mirrors an earlier decision by the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice James Omotosho dismissed a similar case filed by Imansuangbon in June.
The high court concluded that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to challenge Akpata’s nomination.
With this latest ruling, Olumide Akpata remains confirmed as the Labour Party’s candidate for the Edo State governorship election.
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