A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), on the aegis of ‘Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation’, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of deliberate interference and deliberate attempt to censor the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on its choice of National Secretary, in spite of the judgment of the Supreme Court that held that the issue of party leadership is strictly the internal affair of political parties.
The CSO in a document addressed to the INEC chairman< Professor Yakubu Mahmood and Secretary, Mrs Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony, stated that its position was against the backdrop of a report in the media last week pointing to the fact that INEC advised the leadership of the PDP that it would not recognise any correspondence from the party except signed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The CSO in the document dated May 16, 2025 and signed by Comrade Yinka Sotade, Executive Director, Comrade Yinka Sotade, therefore demanded for a Certify True Copy (CTC) of the correspondence from the commission to the PDP wherein the electoral commission reportedly advised that it would not recognise any correspondence signed or co-signed by the acting National Secretary of PDP, Architect Setonji Koshoedo.
The Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation expressed concern that the development was in spite of the fact that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had informed INEC of the decision to direct Koshoedo, the Deputy National Secretary, to act as national secretary in consonance with the provisions of PDP Constitution.
It noted that the PDP NWC, in an official correspondence with reference number: PDP/DOM/GF.2/VOL. IF/25-061, dated May 05, 2025 and signed by the acting national chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, and the acting national secretary, Architect Koshoedo, conveyed to INEC, the resolution taken at its 600th meeting where party directed the deputy national secretary to act as national secretary in line with Section 36 (2) of the constitution of the party.
Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation noted that INEC refusal to honour the resolution of the PDP, was outside the jurisdiction and competence of INEC.
It stressed that the stance of INEC amount to contempt of the judgment of the Supreme Court on the supremacy of political parties over their internal affairs.
The CSO in its letter to INEC headquarters said among others
Said that it wrote INEC pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 (1) and (2) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation said that as a civil society group, it is carrying out its noble responsibility as the watchdog of the society, stressing that it is its responsibility to interrogate public officers and institutions without any emotion attached.
It said; “If INEC refuses to do what is needful, we will persistently make the noise needed to get Nigerians to see the hypocrisy of INEC,” he explained.
Sotade further said; “We may eventually go to court if our cries through the conscience of the public fall on the wrong ears of INEC. We can even go to the length of exercising our duties and civic rights under Section 40 to do a protest.
“If we fail to appeal to the conscience of INEC, then we may have to go to the final arbiter to seek redress, even though a lot of the integrity of the court is compromised.
“The important thing is that we cannot turn the country to a Banana Republic and it is not personal. We just want fairness,” he stressed.
