The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon, seeking to disqualify Olumide Akpata as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the September 21 election in Edo State.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the appellate court held that Imansuangbon failed to explore the Labour Party’s internal conflict resolution mechanism before taking the matter to court.
The court also ruled that Imansuangbon’s case was premature and couldn’t be entertained because the conditions precedent had not been met.
Furthermore, the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel of justices stated that Imansuangbon failed to tender the disputed results of the February 23 primary election, which he claimed to have won.
This development comes after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja dismissed a similar suit in June, seeking to void Akpata’s nomination as the Labour Party’s candidate in the September 21 election.
