As the deadline for
submission of candidates for the Edo State governorship election ends today,
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disclosed that
it was yet to be provided with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party
(PDP).
INEC’s deputy
director, Voter Education and Publicity, Nick Dazang, who disclosed this to
LEADERSHIP, added that the commission was yet to take a decision on which of
the candidates from the factions it would accept.
He further stated
that, so far, only six political parties had submitted names of their
candidates for the election.
However, deputy
national chairman of the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party, Cairo Ojuogboh,
told LEADERSHIP that the faction had submitted the name of Matthew
Iduoriyekemwen to INEC, adding that the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja
gave them the authority to do so.
Pastor Osagie
Ize-Iyamu and Iduoriyekemwen had emerged candidates from separate primaries
conducted by the warring camps in the party. While Ize-Iyamu emerged the
candidate from the primaries held by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national
caretaker committee, Iduoriyekemwen emerged candidate of the Sheriff-led
leadership of the party.
Also, while a July 4
Federal High Court judgement in Port Harcourt recognised Makarfi’s committee as
the legitimate leadership of the party, a Federal High Court in Abuja, however,
granted an ex parte motion to Sheriff, which mandated INEC to recognise only
candidates submitted by Sheriff for the Edo and Ondo guber elections.
But responding to an
inquiry from LEADERSHIP ahead of the deadline, Mr. Dazang, who was in Lagos
yesterday, said the commission was yet to take a decision on which of the
candidates to recognise.
He said: “As at
4:52pm, I sent an inquiry to our director in charge of political party
monitoring and I was told that only six political parties have submitted their
candidates, and PDP is not among them. But the deadline is tomorrow and they
are free to do so.”
When asked which of
the camps’ candidates the commission would accept, he said, “As at this time,
INEC has not taken a decision. If there is any development I will call you back.”
On whether the name
of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki, had
been submitted, the deputy director said he could not confirm as he was yet to
get the names of the six political parties that had submitted candidates.
He, however,
promised to make the list available immediately it is given to him.
LEADERSHIP recalls
that Sheriff’s primary did not meet the 21-day notice to INEC, a requirement
specified in the Electoral Act, unlike the Makarfi-organised primary which was
monitored by INEC.
Reacting, however,
Ojuogboh told LEADERSHIP that the faction had completed the processes for the
submission of its candidate’s name. He said it was understandable that the
deputy director was not aware because the submission of candidates was not done
in his department.
“In any case we have
no fear that our candidate will be accepted as the legitimate candidate of PDP
for the election. The court ruled that Sheriff is the only person that can
submit candidates for the Edo and Ondo guber elections.
“That judgement was
specific and no court of competent jurisdiction can overrule it. The court has
recognised Sheriff as the national chairman; the truth is the truth and nobody
can change it,” he said.
It was, however,
gathered that members of the PDP national caretaker committee were locked in a
meeting yesterday over the issue.
Attempts to get the
Makarfi group for reaction were futile as phone calls to the spokesman of the
committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, rang out and were not returned.
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