By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra state has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of crying wolf where there is none by writing it a letter that looked like a disclaimer.
Former Chairman of APGA and former Senator Victor Umeh made this allegation on Friday when he appeared on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily alongside INEC Commissioner and Chairman, Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye.
Speaking on the recent letter written to APGA by INEC Secretary complaining that the Commission was not informed about the conduct of Wards Election which produced the delegates for the June 23 State Congress and Primary Election that produced former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Umeh accused INEC of mischief-making by writing such letter to the party.
According to him: “nothing warranted INEC’s Secretary to write such letter to APGA in the first place because APGA has not breached any known law as it satisfied all the INEC requirements leading up to the primary election which produced Soludo”.
Umeh insisted that, “APGA published the notices for the Wards and State Delegate elections in two national newspapers as required by INEC Election Guidelines hence it’s strange for the Commission’s Secretary to turn around to claim the party did not give it notice to monitor the internal selection process”.
The ex-Senator argued that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has since ruled that political parties are at liberty to inform or give INEC notice to monitor their primaries, adding that the apex court of the country also ruled that any defaulting party can only pay a fine of N500,000 only to the Commission.
Umeh therefore demanded that INEC to withdraw the vexed letter, saying that “such letter will give mischievous people the opportunity to embark on frivolous litigations against APGA”.
But INEC’s Okoye said the Commission is satisfied with the APGA June 23 Delegate State Congress and Primary Election where Soludo emerged as APGA Governorship Candidate, arguing that the party met all the requirements by give INEC notice to monitor the primary in Awka, capital of Anambra state.
Said he: “INEC is satisfied with the Delegate State Congress but we also reminded the party that we are not aware how the Ward elections were conducted because INEC does not know about it as the Commission was not informed of the Ward elections which produced the Delegates for the State Congress”.
Asked if the letter will mean that APGA will not have a candidate in the November 6 Anambra State Guber Election.
