… Calls INEC List of Candidates Fake
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State Chapter, has reaffirmed the expulsion of seven members of the party, including Arinze Awogu.
Addressing newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Awka, Tuesday, alongside the State Publicity Secretary and the spokesperson of the party in Anambra state, Dr. Valentine Iyke-Oliobi, shortly after a stakeholders meeting, the State Legal Adviser, Barr. Cyprian Udenwa, stated that the seven expelled members of the party, led by one Arinze Awogu, remained expelled from the party for taking the party to court, adding that they never articipated in the said Primary Elections.
Deepening the fate of the seven expelled members is the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja in the suit they filed against the party, which the presiding Judge, Hon Justice F.E. Messiri, upheld the party’s State Congress, noting that it was the internal business of the party as the said members lacked the locus to challenge the outcome of the exercise.
According to the State Legal Adviser of the party, Udenwa, ‘There was a resolution on the floor of the meeting that was moved and adopted that those who took the party to Court remain expelled in accordance with the party’s Constitution, Section 21 (5) and it was unanimously adopted.
‘We made public the list of our candidates from the Senate to Federal House of Representatives and State Assembly by the Election Committee that was sent from the National Headquarters in Abuja.
‘However, there are issues that have continued to rear their ugly heads on the social media with a report that INEC declared some aspirants as candidates.
‘Be it known to all and sundry that those reports are totally false and of no effect.’
Continuing, Udenwa carpeted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for, according to him, attempting to usurp the powers of the party and breach the constitution.
‘The duty of INEC is to monitor the primary elections of political parties and not to declare the nomination of candidates.
‘In our Electoral Act, Section 8 (4), this was made explicit, and the duty of INEC is to observe and nothing more.
‘In the same section, the primary would be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the party and those guidelines include those constituted to come and conduct the primary,’ he said.
On the position of the Arinze Awogu led members that were expelled, Udenwa stated, ‘In respect of one Arinze Awogu who had gone on social media along with his cohorts, saying that they are candidates of the party, they are on their own because they are not candidates of the party and they never participated in the primary elections because they were expelled from the party for taking the party to court.
‘What INEC in Anambra State is doing is to cause confusion, and that is very unfortunate, to say the least.
‘Even, there is a Supreme Court Judgement that stated that the nomination of a political party is the internal affairs of the party. Hence, INEC has no locus at all,’ he said.
