Violation Of Electoral Act: INEC Rules Out APGA From Anambra Guber Poll

…Soludo’s victory, joy short lived

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has wielded the big stick against the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, saying that the ruling party in the State would not participate the scheduled November 6, 2021 governorship election.

INEC pointedly said that APGA violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

The development has tended to cast a dark cloud on the victory of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, who is believed to have won the primary election of a faction of the APGA on Wednesday.

INEC said the disqualification of APGA from participating in the Anambra governorship election followed its failure to comply with Section 85 of the Electoral Act.

The electoral commission pointedly and specifically said that APGA did not notify it when it purportedly held its ad hoc congress to elect delegates for the party’s governorship primary election.

National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, while announcing the position of the Commission in a statement, stressed that political parties must act within the confines of the law in the conduct of their congresses and primaries if they were to avoid issues and challenges that might complicate the conduct of elections.

The clarification came against the backdrop of the declaration of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as the winner of the factional party primary organised by the Chief Victor Oye-led faction of the party.

This is just as Prof. Soludo was allegedly suspended another faction of the party led by Chief Jude Okeke in which the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party said Soludo was suspended from APGA for anti-party activities.

Okeke said that the NWC arrived at the decision to suspend Soludo after its meeting on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

The acting National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, who announced this while briefing journalists in Abuja, said the party leadership applauded the peaceful and successful “Special Delegate Ward Congresses, where three-member Ward Delegates were elected for the July 1, governorship primaries of the party.

Journalists were however barred from accessing the venue of the accreditation and voting.