In a recent ruling, the Court of Appeal has upheld Julius Akpata’s candidacy as the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for the upcoming Edo State election. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang stated that Kenneth Imansuangbon, who challenged Akpata’s nomination, failed to utilize the Labour Party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms before proceeding to court.
The court further ruled that Imansuangbon’s case was premature, as necessary legal conditions were not fulfilled before his lawsuit was filed. The three-man panel of justices unanimously agreed that Imansuangbon had also failed to present the disputed results from the party’s February 23 primary, which he claimed to have won.
This decision follows an earlier ruling in June by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which dismissed a suit seeking to nullify Akpata’s nomination. In that ruling, Justice Omotosho supported the arguments made by Akpata’s counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), concluding that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to pursue the case.
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