By Okhide Em’ya David
Abuja High Court on Wednesday nullified the e-registration exercise conducted by the Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a ruling that also invalidated the disputed 500,000 membership drive claimed by the embattled Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
The verdict was delivered in the suit between Umoru Vincent, the Chairman of Etsako East LGA of Edo State, and The Peoples Democratic Party.
Mr. Vincent challenged the constitutional merit of the adoption of e-registration in enlisting new members of the party, stating that it poses an extra burden to interested members of the public contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Affirming his contention, the High Court ruled that the “electronic registration process introduced by the PDP runs contrary to its constitution as it imposes an additional requirement on the members of the party, both old and new.”
The Court also held that the introduction of Voters Identification Number (VIN) as a condition precedent to membership registration is equally contrary to the provision of the PDP’s constitution.
