By Jude Michael
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Anambra State, has sued the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) and Anambra State House of Assembly over what they described as irregularities in the conduct of the proposed local government elections in Anambra State, even as they asked the court to nullify the election if ANSIEC goes ahead to hold the election on September 28, 2024.
In a statement issued in Awka by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr. Valentine Iyke Oliobi, he argued that section 23(1) of the ANSIEC Law, 2024, as amended, which stipulated 30 days’ notice of the date of elections into local governments in Anambra state was null and void, as it was inconsistent with Section 103 (3) of the Electoral Act 2022 which provided 150 days’ notice of election date.
‘APC asks the court to restrain ANSIEC from implementing or giving effect to section 23 (1).
‘The party also prayed the court to restrain ANSIEC from conducting any election into 21 LGAs in the state on the basis of Section 23 (1) of the ANSIEC Law as amended. You see the court document as obtained for yourself, ‘ he concluded.
Consequently the party had withdrawn from participating in the forthcoming local government elections scheduled for September 28th, 2024 in the state, announcing that they had sued the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission and Anambra State House of Assembly.
They stressed that participating in the elections would amount to legalizing illegality in Nigeria’s democratic setting.
The motion not to participate in the LG elections was moved by Hon Donatus Emecheta and seconded by Hon Ikunwata Charles Obadike during the party’s stakeholders meeting held at the state headquarters, Awka, September 7.
Speaking further on the elections while addressing members, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Basil Ejidike, noted that the APC under his leadership would not be involved because the ANSIEC and the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo, were not ready to conduct the exercise in free, fair and credible manner.
According to him, ‘How can a great party like APC be involved in an election where political parties are not given enough time to conduct primaries to elect their candidates? No campaign rallies, no selling of forms in accordance to the Electoral Law.
‘The governor has already set up a tribunal at the Anambra State High Court here in Awka for political parties that wish to challenge the outcome of the elections.
‘Governor Soludo is not transparently prepared to give Ndi-Anambra an accountable local government system.
‘We are already in court to challenge the process, because APC, being the major opposition party in Anambra State, must try as much as possible to live by example. The People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party have also gone to Court to challenge the irregularities, we applaud them,’ he stated.
Ejidike while urging members to remain focused, announced that the party would soon commence tours across the 21 local government areas as part of preparations for the 2025 governorship elections in the state.
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A minute’s silence was also held in honour of the late Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah during the meeting.
