The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would not enable the gathering to substitute its contender for the rerun, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who a week ago pulled back from the rerun in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom North-west senatorial region.
The Court of Appeal, while giving judgment in a request by Akpabio testing the statement of Senator Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the victor of the political decision in the senatorial region, had voided the PDP applicant's political decision and requested a rerun in the nearby government.
Be that as it may, Akpabio, in a letter a week ago to APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, hosted advised the gathering of his withdrawal from the rerun, because of his current clerical obligations, and encouraged the gathering to discover a substitution and send the name to INEC for endorsement.
In any case, INEC while reacting to THISDAY's request at the end of the week, said the decision gathering would not be permitted to supplant the pastor as the cutoff time for substitution of a contender for any political race had slipped by.
Likewise, Akpabio's withdrawal drew sneers from the PDP, which credited his retreat to dread of another annihilation.
According to INEC, all the parties and candidates that filed valid nominations and contested the senatorial election during last general poll will be on the ballot for the rerun election in Essien Udim Local Government Area.
The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye, told THISDAY in an exclusive interview: “In the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission fixed November 17, 2019 as the last day for substitution and/or withdrawal of candidates by political parties in accordance with Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).
“The date and period for the nomination and substitution of candidates has elapsed and no political party can withdraw or substitute its candidate or nominate or introduce a new candidate in the re-run election.
“In other words, a new candidate cannot inherit the votes warehoused from the validated votes in the other local governments and cannot participate in the re-run election in the Essien Udim Local Government Area.
“The commission is not permitted to admit and will not allow or admit any other candidate other than the candidate that contested the election that was annulled by the court.”
The commission assured the people of Akwa Ibom North-west Senatorial District that the rerun election will hold in Essien Udim Local Government as scheduled and the votes from the local government area will be added to the harvested and validated votes of the other local governments to determine the winner of the election.
It advised all political parties and candidates to maintain the peace as the commission is determined to conduct a transparent, free and fair rerun election and conclude the electoral process in the senatorial district.
No comments: