The Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected the appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon, contesting Olumide Akpata’s candidacy as the Labour Party’s nominee for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, slated for September 21, 2024.
Justice Okon Abang, delivering the lead judgment, emphasized that Imansuangbon had not fully utilized the internal dispute resolution processes of the Labour Party before escalating the issue to the courts. The court deemed his lawsuit premature, as he had not followed the established party mechanisms for resolving conflicts within the party.
The three-judge panel also highlighted a key flaw in Imansuangbon’s case: he failed to submit the disputed results of the February 23 primary election, which he claimed to have won. Without presenting these results as evidence, the court found that his claims lacked the necessary foundation to warrant consideration.
This ruling is consistent with an earlier decision by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja. In June, Justice Omotosho similarly dismissed Imansuangbon’s case, concluding that the plaintiffs did not have the legal right to challenge Akpata’s nomination as the party’s flagbearer.
With the Court of Appeal now upholding the previous ruling, Olumide Akpata’s candidacy remains uncontested, solidifying his position as the Labour Party’s official nominee for the Edo State governorship election. Both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal have dismissed Imansuangbon’s legal efforts to overturn the nomination.
