CANDIDATES of Ejike Oguebego-led faction of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP in Anambra State have called on the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC to issue them with certificates-of-return for their
swearing-in as the candidates of the PDP in the state following the recent
verdict of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Nigeria's apex court had in its judgment recently sacked
the then incumbent leadership of the party and declared Oguebego faction as the
authentic faction of the state chapter of PDP. Incidentally, prior to the
verdict, the leadership tussle had led to parallel primaries in the state which
ended up producing two sets of candidates for the two factions respectively.
In a statement in Awka, the embattled candidates unanimously
called on the electoral body to order the occupants of the offices in the
National Assembly including Senators Andy Ubah and Stella Oduah as well as
Chukwuma Onyema, Eucharia Azodo, Chris Azubuogu and others to vacate their positions
without further delay in respect of the Supreme Court ruling.
Similarly, the candidates also threatened to drag the counsel
to INEC, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) to the National Judicial Council, NJC if
after seven days he fails to advice the electoral body to do the needful
accordingly.
“The INEC, as an umpire cannot be seen to be taking sides,
but must at all times, be in strict adherence to the law. We will be forwarding
a more detailed petition against the two members of INEC consortium of lawyers
to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee and that of the Ethics and
Privileges Committee,” the statement read.
According to reports, INEC earlier accepted the list of
candidates from the Oguebego faction until the Court of Appeal judgment ruled
against it leading to the substitution of the candidates with the sacked
faction. Eventually, the apex court’s recent
ruling favoured the Oguebego-led faction after INEC had issued the certificates
of return to the candidates from the sacked faction following PDP’s victory in
those positions in the state.
Following the apex court verdict, the candidates from the
authentic faction have demanded for their certificates-of-return as well as
swearing-in. However, the candidates of the sacked faction who are already
serving senators and members of the legislature respectively declined to follow
suit stating that the issues the apex court adjudicated on was in respect of
the leadership tussle in the state and not the candidates of the party in the
state.
Among the senatorial candidates of the authentic faction are
Chief Annie Okonkwo, Chief Chris Ubah and Hon. Julius Oforma, a candidate for
House of Representatives.
No comments:
Post a Comment