Hope Party sues INEC, APC over TraderMoni Scheme

The Hope Democratic Party (HDP) has dragged the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the short period
given to parties to campaign in preparation for the 2019 general
election.

The Presidential candidate of Hope Party, Ambrose Owuru, told
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the party approached the
court on Nov. 13 (Tuesday) to compel INEC to elongate the time for
campaign to enable it propagate its message of “welfarism” to
Nigerians.

Owuru said that the party also wants the court to punish INEC
for allowing the All Progressive Congress (APC) to indirectly lobby
voters with N10,000 through the “tradermoni” programme supervised
by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

He said the action of Osinbajo through the scheme was ill-timed
and should not be allowed to continue.

“We want the court to declare the Federal Government’s
tradermoni scheme illegal and breech of electoral act because it is
a gimmick to financially induce voters ahead of the 2019 general
election.

“The court should reprimand INEC for failing to check the act of
Osinbajo (Chairman National Economic Council) in openly giving out
physical cash of N10,000 to market women.

“The court should determine whether the disguise of tradermoni
during this period of election is not a plan by the APC and
Osinbajo to up-stage and disrupt Hope Party’s welfarism and wealth
redistribution of N2 million grants to Nigerian families to end
poverty.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Newspapers Proprietors
Association are also defendants in the suit.

Owuru said NBC and Newspapers Proprietors Association were
joined in the suit for not giving the party and its candidates due
coverage of their events.

“This could be targeted at denying the party rights to equal
treatment and could deny Nigerians the right to informed choices at
the 2019 presidential election,” Owuru added.
No date has been fixed for the matter. (NAN)