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A State High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State has affirmed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the September 19, 2020, election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is a bonafide member of the party.
Justice Emmanuel Ahamioje ruled that Ize-Iyamu, who emerged as the candidate of the APC is a bonafide member of the party and that he is qualified to contest in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The judge said that the issue of granting a waiver is a matter that is subjected to every political party and that it is not for the court to determine who is to be given waiver or not.
“I hereby declare that the Osagie Ize-Iyamu (third defendant) is qualified to contest being a registered member of the All Progressives Congress,” the judge held.
The state deputy chairman of the party, Kenneth Asekomhe, and three APC chieftains- Benjamin Oghumu, Mathew Ogbebor and Unweni Nosa, had instituted a suit challenging the decision of the party’s National Working Committee( NWC) to grant waiver to Ize-Iyamu, in order to make him eligible to contest in the APC primary election.
The claimants contended that the waiver given to Ize-Iyamu by the NWC was without the approval of the National Executive Committee(NEC), and that Ize-Iyamu never formally applied for such waiver through his ward and local government which render the waiver null, void and of no effect.
They prayed the court to restrain the APC from recognising Ize-Iyamu as an aspirant of the party in its governorship primary election.