Oredo Pre-Election Suit: FHC Adjourns Joinder Application to Nov 2


 By Genesis Ogiri 

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned until November 2, 2026, hearing of an application seeking the joinder of Osagie Efosa Omo as a party in a pre-election suit instituted by Dr. Igbinosa Ogbeide-Ihama over the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidacy for Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1859/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026, challenging the alleged submission and upload of another name in place of Ogbeide-Ihama as the party’s candidate for the constituency. The matter is being prosecuted within the constitutional framework governing the determination of pre-election disputes.

At the resumed proceedings on Monday, the joinder application could not proceed as scheduled after the applicant and some of the respondents raised issues concerning service of the claimant’s counter-processes. The claimant’s legal team, however, maintained that the processes had been served on the parties on Friday and that the service had been duly acknowledged by the court bailiff.

The claimant’s campaign organisation, in a statement issued yesterday, said the acknowledged copies of the processes had yet to be placed in the court file because the bailiff was attending an official three-day training programme. It said the bailiff’s service register and other relevant documents would be produced before the court to clarify the issue.

The court, according to the statement, adjourned the joinder application in the interest of fair hearing and to enable the record of service to be properly regularised. The organisation further said the court reassured parties that the constitutional timeline for the determination of the matter remained unaffected and expressed its commitment to concluding pre-election cases before the yuletide.

The claimant’s legal team has also applied for Certified True Copies of the relevant entries in the bailiff’s service register and the bailiff’s affidavit of service. The campaign organisation said the processes would additionally be served through electronic channels, including email and WhatsApp, in accordance with the applicable Federal High Court Practice Direction.

The organisation also disclosed that Omo had instituted a separate suit, FHC/B/CS/60/2026, at the Federal High Court, Benin, relating to the May 29, 2026, primary election. It said the Benin case was distinct from the Abuja action, which concerns the alleged subsequent submission and upload of the candidate’s name, adding that its counsel had been directed to ascertain the status of the separate proceedings.

The development underscores the procedural significance of service and joinder in pre-election litigation, particularly given the constitutionally prescribed timeframe within which such disputes must be determined. The Ogbeide-Ihama campaign said it remained confident in the judicial process and maintained that its substantive case was supported by relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the party’s register.

The organisation consequently urged its supporters and residents of Oredo Federal Constituency to remain calm and allow the judicial process to take its course. It expressed optimism that the substantive dispute would proceed expeditiously after the determination of the joinder application, while maintaining its position that the court would ultimately determine the validity of the competing claims before it.

The case is expected to return before the Federal High Court on November 2 for the hearing of the joinder application, after which the substantive issues in the pre-election dispute may proceed. With the constitutional timeline for the determination of pre-election matters in view, parties are expected to comply strictly with the court’s directions as the legal contest over the Oredo Federal Constituency candidature continues.

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