The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by Kenneth Imansuangbon, challenging the candidacy of Olumide Akpata as the Labour Party’s flagbearer in the upcoming Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the court held that Imansuangbon failed to exhaust the intra-party conflict resolution mechanisms of the Labour Party before taking the matter to court.
The court ruled that his suit was premature in law, as the necessary steps to resolve internal party disputes were not followed.
The three-man panel also noted that Imansuangbon did not provide the disputed results of the February 23 primary election, which he claimed to have won.
The judges said without the submission of those results, his case lacked sufficient merit to be considered.
This decision aligns with an earlier ruling by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who in June dismissed a similar case filed by Imansuangbon.
In that ruling, Justice Omotosho concluded that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to challenge Akpata’s nomination.
With this latest ruling, Olumide Akpata remains the confirmed Labour Party candidate for the Edo governorship election, as Imansuangbon’s legal challenges have now been dismissed by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.