Labour Party Candidates Drag INEC‎ to Court‎

Fri, Apr 1, 2016
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Political Briefs

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CANDIDATES of the Labour Party, LP, in Akulga/ Asalga federal and state constituencies in Rivers State are threatening to take the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to court over the conducts of last rerun legislative elections in the state. The affected candidates of the LP registered their disenchantment and disapproval over what they termed “ostrich game” played by the INEC pertaining to the conduct of the recent rerun polls on federal and state Houses of Assembly, in Rivers State.

In a joint statement signed by Douglas Dodiyi – Manuel, candidate, Akulga/Asalga federal constituency; Ted Dagogo Princewill, candidate, House of Assembly ASALGA constituency 1 and Saturday Dabotubo Ngoji, candidate, House of Assembly ASALGA Constituency 2 said: “The INEC appeared to have deliberately covered its head in the shameful and dirty political sand and consequently neglected or refused to perform its duties without fear or favour. Rather, the INEC finds it convenient to call for a fresh re-run each time the elections are marred by violence and killings instead of wielding the big sick against the known perpetrators of violence and anarchy so as to move the State forward and improve our electoral culture and expectations.”

The candidates said it was disheartening that the INEC failed to initiate a proceeding to disqualify the candidates of the two political parties that had held the state to ransom and shedding innocent blood in the process. “It is irrational and unfair to lead us and our teaming supporters into a fool’s voyage with proven lethal ends as our electoral process is now associated with dynamites, guns and other weapons of war,” they said.

Based on the development, the LP candidates said they would withdraw from further participation in elections in the state except INEC initiated a proceeding to punish or disqualify the candidates of the political parties found perpetrating and sponsoring violence in Rivers State.

They similarly called on the INEC to refund their expenses with regard to the last two botched polls and compensate them monetarily for resources and time wasted in the botched polls.

Failure to do all these, the politicians said: “We shall, therefore, initiate legal proceeding to seek redress against the INEC if it fails to perform its statutory duties by complying with this demand.”

Tonye Princewill, a political leader in the state, appealed to the politicians in the state to respect the rule of the law. He said: “If democracy is government of the people by the people and for the people, things have got to change. It is illegal to be legal in an illegal society,” adding: “My advice to my people is – do all you can to remain peaceful. God is not sleeping and every cloud has a silver lining. Justice is not far away. The war between Wike and Amaechi is almost over. Mark my words. And the winner will be Rivers state.”

— Apr 11, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT

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