A candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obiora
Okonkwo, has written the Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, asking the commission to halt the planned re-run elections
slated to hold on Saturday.
Mr. Okonkwo urged the commission to obey a High Court judgement
directing he be issued a Certificate of Return as the senator-elect
for the seat.
The commission is faced with two conflicting court judgement on
the Anambra seat that has been vacant since the Court of Appeal
sacked Uche Ekwuenife of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in
December 2015.
If INEC goes ahead with the election, PDP and its candidates
would not be eligible for the poll as the Appeal Court in Enugu had
ruled that Mrs. Ekwunife and her party, PDP, not take part in the
re-run.
Following a judgement by the Court of Appeal in November 2017,
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had fixed
January 13 for the conduct of the re-run election to fill the
vacant seat.
Three weeks later, another judgement emerged from the Federal
High Court which ordered INEC to issue Certificate of Return to Mr.
Okonkwo of the PDP as the elected representative for Anambra
Central Senatorial District.
INEC has not publicly said if it would abide by the High Court
judgement. But the commission on Thursday commenced training of
National Youth Service Corps members for the poll, indicating it
would go ahead with the election.
In a letter by his lawyers, Mr. Okonkwo warned INEC against
going ahead of with the poll.
The letter by Sebastian Hon and Festus Keyamo warned INEC that
conducting the election will be “disastrous” for the
commission.
He maintained that the commission has no justifiable reason to
go ahead with the election since he has filed a suit against INEC
and other political parties to stop the controversial re-run
election.
“Is there any justifiable reason again, Hon. Chairman, to insist
on the commission going on with this re-run? We strongly think not;
and we hereby WARN IN UNMISTAKEN TERMS that going on with the
re-run election will be legally and even morally disastrous for the
commission and your good person,” the letter said.
“We do hope you and your commissioners and all decision-makers
of the commission will appreciate the implication of going on with
the planned re-run in spite of the weighty legal and factual issues
raised in this letter.”
A candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obiora
Okonkwo, has written the Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, asking the commission to halt the planned re-run elections
slated to hold on Saturday.
Mr. Okonkwo urged the commission to obey a High Court judgement
directing he be issued a Certificate of Return as the senator-elect
for the seat.
The commission is faced with two conflicting court judgement on
the Anambra seat that has been vacant since the Court of Appeal
sacked Uche Ekwuenife of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in
December 2015.
If INEC goes ahead with the election, PDP and its candidates
would not be eligible for the poll as the Appeal Court in Enugu had
ruled that Mrs. Ekwunife and her party, PDP, not take part in the
re-run.
Following a judgement by the Court of Appeal in November 2017,
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had fixed
January 13 for the conduct of the re-run election to fill the
vacant seat.
Three weeks later, another judgement emerged from the Federal
High Court which ordered INEC to issue Certificate of Return to Mr.
Okonkwo of the PDP as the elected representative for Anambra
Central Senatorial District.
INEC has not publicly said if it would abide by the High Court
judgement. But the commission on Thursday commenced training of
National Youth Service Corps members for the poll, indicating it
would go ahead with the election.
In a letter by his lawyers, Mr. Okonkwo warned INEC against
going ahead of with the poll.
The letter by Sebastian Hon and Festus Keyamo warned INEC that
conducting the election will be “disastrous” for the
commission.
He maintained that the commission has no justifiable reason to
go ahead with the election since he has filed a suit against INEC
and other political parties to stop the controversial re-run
election.
“Is there any justifiable reason again, Hon. Chairman, to insist
on the commission going on with this re-run? We strongly think not;
and we hereby WARN IN UNMISTAKEN TERMS that going on with the
re-run election will be legally and even morally disastrous for the
commission and your good person,” the letter said.
“We do hope you and your commissioners and all decision-makers
of the commission will appreciate the implication of going on with
the planned re-run in spite of the weighty legal and factual issues
raised in this letter.”