Inec Bars Soludo From Election Activities

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Anambra governorship candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has yet another battle to fight as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced he would be excluded from activities leading to the February 6, 2010 election, on account of a court order. Also, the electoral umpire has picked issues with the party over the controversial method through which Soludo emerged as its flagbearer. But in yet another twist, Judge B. O. Nwankwo of the Anambra High Court yesterday granted an injunction restraining INEC from removing Soludo's name as the candidate of the PDP in the governorship poll. The injunction followed a prayer sought by Okey Muo Aroh, one of the 47 aspirants in the botched PDP governorship primaries. INEC's decision to officially exclude Soludo follows an Abuja High Court order restraining him from parading himself as the party candidate. According to the Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chief Rowland Uwa, who spoke to newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the commission had no option than to obey the Abuja court order which was served on it yesterday. Uwa, however, explained it was only Soludo as a candidate and not the party that is being excluded from the activities that would lead to the governorship election next year. He disclosed that INEC is planning a forum for all candidates of political parties for the election as well as their respective parties tomorrow. Soludo would therefore be unable to attend as a result of the court order, he said. The resident electoral commissioner also stated that the commission's Chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu, would address the stakeholders’ forum. He advised all governorship candidates and their deputies to collect their letters of accreditation from his office on or before 6pm today. Chairmen and secretaries of the respective political parties involved in the election should obtain duly signed letters of credence from their national secretariats, he added. Uwa further stated that all INEC accredited observers and civil society groups who participated in the 2007 election were invited to the forum which would kick off by 12 noon. Meanwhile, Iwu expressed its disappointment with the way Soludo emerged last week when he met with the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Harilu Mohammed Bello; the National Secretary of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; and the National Legal Adviser of the party, Chief Olusola Oke, at INEC office in Maitama, Abuja. According to sources, the INEC chairman lambasted the PDP chieftains for not leading by example in ensuring that internal democracy thrives in their party. “INEC is not happy that internal democracy did not take place in the selection of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as your party’s flag bearer for the Anambra State governorship election. We are particularly not happy that PDP as a ruling party is not showing good example over the institution of internal democracy in the affairs of political parties”, Iwu was quoted as saying by the source. It was gathered that Iwu urged PDP to take advantage of the December date for the substitution of candidates to put its house in order. The National Chairman of PDP, Ogbulafor, was said to have thanked the INEC chairman and asked the National Legal Adviser of the party, Oke, to respond to his comments. In response, Oke reminded the INEC chairman of the legal tussles which the party waded through before it eventually decided to adopt Soludo as a consensus candidate. Oke told Iwu that before the National Working Committee (NWC) took the decision, there were nine legal constraints against the party. According to Oke, the PDP chose Soludo in line with its constitution as contained in articlexs 17.1 and 17.2. Oke specifically referred the INEC Chairman to the Supreme Court verdict on the rights of political parties to choose or select their candidates as contained in the apex court’s landmark judgment of Ehinlanwo vs Oke earlier this year. The legal adviser stated that no one has the right to meddle in the affairs of political parties, particularly with regard to the choice and selection of candidates, provided they are in line with the constitution of the party. After the meeting, Iwu again, urged the party to take advantage of the December date for substitution. In another development, a rally believed to have been organised by Mr. Chris Uba in the state has been suspended by the party. In a statement, the Zonal Secretary of PDP, Vin Okpalaeke, said the NWC of the PDP directed the rally scheduled for today in Awka be suspended based on grounds that it aimed at undermining "the gains" of the party in the state and Soludo's candidacy. "For the avoidance of doubt, our great party will initiate appropriate actions against all persons who flout this directive,” it said.

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As for me o,i nor send I nor send you or whoever is president or governor 2011!!!

Am too overwhelmed with d shit we call politics

      

Quote from: foyeks2001 on October 27, 2009, 11:37 AM

wat do u mean by that, we all have our different opinion on certain issues must I go along your way?pls spare me this, Mr know it all

Relax, all i meant was "dont get carried away" by the recent developments. . . .
No one is forcing you to discard your opinions. . . .
Hug them or lick them, ahem!

i have said this long before now and i will say it again. there is likely going to be another imo state gubernitorial scenario here.
if we can remember, eng; charles soludo was the anointed candidate not withstanding his position in the primaries. when ararume who claimed he won went to court, the ticket of pdp was given to him by the court. all efforts of obj to change that failed hence he publicly announced in imo state that pdp was withdrawing from the election.
if the other pdp candidates have enough power to force soludo out, obj and his gang will have no choice than to get another replacement of soludo into place or withdraw as usual and then try their antics through the pdp members in the house of assembly to force the gov to cross carpet.
if this news will remain valid, i will be happy for anambra people for rejecting the evil plots of obj and his pdp gang members.
if not for their rigging specializations, why would a normal person go against the wishes of 48 candidates just to pls one and still believe he will win?
shame to pdp and all the gang leaders.

Na Wa!

The UBA'S     

This is just one of PDP's game, we understand it all, cannot be fooled for so long

Crying  for Anambra state.

I follow u dey cry my bros.

wild wild east in the making at Anambara

Soludo has disappointed me big time!even him?

I hope they insist on him not running.What are his credentials to run?He is BLOODY WANKER

And Soludo wept!

Anambra will shed blood again whose father was recently kidnapped?