APC Aspirant Seeks Court Order To Nullify Esan South Primary

A lawyer and aspirant for the Esan South Constituency seat in the Edo State House of Assembly, Barrister Victor Giwa, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the constituency.

Giwa, in a suit marked ABJ/FHC/C’S/1078/26 and dated May 29, 2026, challenged the emergence of Chief Hon. Sunday Oseizua Ojiezele as the APC candidate, alleging that the primary election was fraught with irregularities and did not comply with the party’s guidelines.

The suit, filed through his counsel, Mr. Patrick Ocheja Okolo (SAN), joined Ojiezele, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second and third respondents respectively.

The aspirant is asking the court to restrain Ojiezele from parading himself as the APC candidate for the Esan South Constituency seat in the 2027 general election pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He is also seeking an order restraining INEC from accepting, recognising or publishing Ojiezele’s name as the APC candidate for the election until the matter is resolved.

Among the reliefs sought, Giwa urged the court to direct all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum as of May 19, 2026.

According to the court filings, the applicant participated in the APC primary process conducted at both ward and local government levels in Esan South East Constituency.

He, however, alleged that the APC neither conducted a valid primary election nor adopted a consensus arrangement before declaring Ojiezele as the party’s candidate.

“The 2nd Respondent neither conducted a primary nor adopted a consensus candidate in the election on the said date but rather allocated figures to the 1st Respondent and declared the 1st Respondent as consensus candidate,” the applicant stated.

Giwa further alleged that despite enjoying support in several wards, he was allocated zero votes in the final result.

“The applicant was allocated zero votes against his name irrespective of the votes in the applicant’s favour in wards 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 of the Esan South East Local Government Constituency exercise of the 2nd Respondent,” he told the court.

He maintained that Ojiezele did not emerge through any valid primary election or consensus arrangement recognised by the party.

“The 1st Respondent did not emerge from any primary conducted nor consensus arrangement of the 2nd Respondent,” the suit added.

The court is yet to fix a date for hearing of the matter.