• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Anambara poll: Why INEC disqualified Soludo, Ozigbo – Okoye

Soludo

Ahead of the November 6, Anambara governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has excluded the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Charles Soludo who was nominated by a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from participating in the poll.

It rather, declared a member of the House of Representatives, Chukwuma Michael Umeoji as the candidate of APGA in a primary election conducted by another faction of the party.

The Commission also disqualified Valentine Ozigbo, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the election and approved the nomination of Andy Uba as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

A former Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcorp Plc, Valentine Ozigbo was elected candidate of PDP in a primary election held by a faction of the party at Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre in Awka while another faction nominated Ugochukwu Uba, a former Senator for Anambara South Zone as the candidate of the same party at Paul University playground.

These decisions were contained in a statement issued by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,
Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye after a meeting of the Commission held in Abuja on Thursday.

Okoye said INEC’s decisions were sequel to consideration and of the Judgments/Court Orders served on it in relation to the primaries of the political parties and other processes leading to the election.

“In line with section 31(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) the personal particulars of the candidates will be published in the Commissions Notice Board in Awka, Anambra State while the names of the candidates, their gender, party, age, qualification and the Commissions decision/remarks are herein attached.

“The Commission will continue to act in consonance with the Constitution and the law and will continue to obey the judgments and orders of courts served on it”, Okoye said.

Meanwhile, INEC has shifted the commencement of the physical registration of voters and the scheduled appointments by online registrants earlier scheduled for Monday, July 19 to Monday July 26.

INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner incharge of Publicity, Okoye said the shift in date was due to the the declaration of Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st July 2021, as public holidays by the Federal Government for this year’s eid- Kabir.