THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise the newly-elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

It said that his emergence by affirmation was in violation of democratic requirements of direct voting by delegates.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, made the position of the party known while receiving party leaders from Kabba/Bunu area of Kogi State at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

He also asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to commence investigation into reports that the 24 governors elected on the platform of the APC allegedly diverted N150m each, amounting to N3.6bn, from their state coffers to fund the APC’s national convention.

The covention was held in Abuja on Saturday.

Ologbondiyan stated that the party chose to ignore the provision of the Electoral Act by adopting voice votes to elect their national officials, despite the fact that party members aspiring to various offices came to the convention to participate in the voting processes.

He said that the process that produced Oshiomhole was faulty, alleging that it violated some sections of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

Ologbondiyan recalled that when the PDP used the same method to elect some of its national officers some years ago, the electoral body nullified their elections by refusing to recognise them.

“They used a prepared list from where they announced the list of their national officers through voice vote to affirm the illegality at the Eagle Square.

“When the PDP did similar thing, INEC declared the convention null and void. So, we are calling on the commission to do the same for APC, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, as amended.

“Oshiomhole and some officers of the party were not elected. Nobody voted for them. There is no provision of voice vote in the Electoral Act. The Act is superior to party’s constitution,” Ologbondiyan said. – Punch

– Jun. 27, 2018 @ 19:19 GMT |