By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state have continued to lay claim to the authenticity of the candidates of their factions as the await the ruling of the Supreme Court on issues.

  The party conducted parallel primary elections to pick candidates for all the elective positions in the state.

 The Federal High Court in Abuja a few weeks ago gave a judgment in favour of the Orbih’s and this was celebrated by his members.

 But last month, the Court of Appeal quashed the ruling of the lower court as it said the issues in the suit are purely the internal affairs of the party which is not justiciable.

  A respectable leader in the Obaseki camp told Vanguard yesterday that  “The Appeal Court said, party matters, it is not the court that decides and you say the court did not decide anything as we are seeing in the social media so if you say the Appeal Court did not decide anything, why are you appealing to the Supreme Court.?”

 He believed strongly that the process that led to the emergence of their candidates was genuine as he said the business of conducting primary elections is strictly an internal affair of the party.

 A House of Representatives Candidate in Edo South in the faction of Orbih also told Vanguard that “We are the authentic candidates but they are tossing us up and down. They just went to the government house and wrote the names of candidates whereas we are the authentic candidates but we are at the Supreme Court and we know and we are hopeful we will get a favourable judgment.”

  A peep into the Court of Appeal ruling delivered by Justice Jonah Stephen Adah said   “From the foregoing therefore, this court having hitherto given a decision in respect of the subject matter of this appeal, the court cannot be seen to reprobate and approbate. The position of this court as rendered in respect of case No B/408/2022, CA/B/106/2022 remains the same. The issue of adhoc delegates election is not justiciable being adjudged to be an internal affairs of the political party. The trial court therefore had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter. It is in this respect that this issue is resolved in favour of the appellants.”