INEC recants on Alao-Akala, Chime, displays more names

[NewsCaster]

DISPLAY of lists of candidates for the forthcoming general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continued yesterday with the intrigues that have characterised the exercise.

Less than 24 hours after it published the names of Governors Sullivan Iheanacho Chime of Enugu State and Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State as candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the electoral body withdrew them, explaining that they were published in error.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Legal Services, Philip Umeadi Jnr., told reporters last night that though the commission was served with the judgment in respect of the Chime from one faction of the party in Enugu, it came a little late.

According to him: "By the time the judgment was served on us, we had received the nomination list for Enugu State. Ideally, in deference to that judgment, we ought not to have published it, so that publication was an error and that was why it was removed".

"Again the same thing happened in Oyo State where there was also a judgment with respect to Oyo. That again, was published in error. We had so many judgments and I tried to explain the rationale behind the on-going exercise, when I spoke recently. The Form 001 and CF002 are merely forms which candidates the political parties intend to sponsor for the election submitted to INEC.

"We have now taken these forms to their constituencies, published them in the constituencies for the constituents to know the particular candidates to raise objections with respect to their qualifications for the respective offices, which they intend to contest".

But in a swift reaction, Chime said he was not perturbed by the development, insisting that he would emerge the standard-bearer of the PDP when the matter is settled. He described the withdrawal as the handiwork of his political opponents.

Chime's name, The Guardian, gathered was removed from the list at about 7.00p.m. Monday night following a directive from Abuja that it should not be displayed at all because he is not the authentic governorship candidate of the party in Enugu.

Journalists who rushed to the INEC office as soon as information filtered in yesterday that the name had been removed were shocked to observe that Chime's name earlier displayed on the notice board was no longer there.

Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Enugu State, Dr. Josiah Uwazuruonye, who confirmed the development, said the withdrawal followed the litigations trailing the conduct of primaries of party in the state.  He stated that the withdrawal was in compliance with the directive from the INEC's National Commissioner in charge of Legal Services, Mr. Philip Umeadi that the name be removed without further delay.

Chime, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Communication, Mr. Chukwudi Achife stated that the commission must have a good reason for withdrawing the name other than the exparte injunction granted by the Federal High Court, Abuja which, according to him, should naturally expire in seven days according to the rules.

The nomination form CF 001 of Alao-Akala was among those published by the commission on Sunday evening.

Other governorship candidates who got their names published by the commission are Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party; Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the ACN and Alhaji Adebayo Shittu of the Congress for Progressive Change, among others.

But the governor's form was removed from the commission's notice board yesterday.

The development came a few minutes after the leadership of the PDP handed the party's flag to Alao-Akala at the presidential rally for the South-West held in Ibadan.

Confirming the development, the INEC spokesman in the state, Mr. Ayodele Folami said Alao-Akala's form was removed based on a directive issued by the INEC headquarters.

"We (INEC) are under an umbrella of our head office in Abuja. We received a directive today that his form should be removed and we have complied with the directive," he said.

In Kaduna State, panic initially gripped supporters of Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa when his name was glaringly missing from the lists of PDP. But, the name of his deputy, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero featured, overlooking the empty space which was supposed to take Yakowa's name.

On why Governor Yakowa's name got missing for hours, the state INEC Secretary, Administration Department, Musa Adamu said:  "It is not everybody's name that is on that list. There are a lot of lists that are not there but that is not to say that their names are not sent to us from the headquarters.

"We are still processing the papers; we are photocopying and doing all the paper work. So at this point it is too early to conclude that somebody's name is on the list or not."

Other names released by INEC included Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Sani Mohammed Sha'aban with his running mate as Joel Giwa; All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate is Senator Mukhtar Ahmed Aruwa with the running mate as Bulus Gani; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidate is Balarabe Musa, with the running mate as Tom Maitamaiki; National Transformation Party (NTP) candidate was given as Jimmy Dung, with the running mate as Musa Mohammed.

Governor Gabriel Suswam made the  PDP list as governorship candidate in Benue State while Prof. Steve Ugba is the ACN  flagbearer; Prof. Daniel Saror for ANPP and Mr. Bisibi Ati is for Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Mr Aondohemba Agan is for Peoples Redemption Party.

Incumbent PDP Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and Chief Great Ogboru of the Democratic People's Party (DPP) made the final list of candidates in Delta State.

An INEC official who pleaded anonymity disclosed that others who made the list included Mr. Afro F. B. Biukeme of Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPP) and Nkwoala Emeka of Labour Party (LP) as governorship candidates.

In Bayelsa State, Governor Timipre Sylva's name was displayed as PDP governorship candidate; Dr. Imoro Kubor for ACN and Mr. Timi Alaibe is for LP. Of the 20 governorship candidates, only that of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Anetorufagh Pereotubor is a woman.

Former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu was cleared under the platform of ANPP to vie for the governorship seat, while for the PDP, Alhaji Isah Jibrin, who, despite having a case against his candidature pending in the Federal High Court, Abuja also made the list as the governorship candidate. Prof. Yusuf Obaje made the governorship list on the platform of ACN.  

In Bauchi, Governor Isa Yuguda is PDP candidate while Senator Nazif Sulaiman Gamawa is ANPP's flag bearer, Senator Baba Tela for ACN, Yusuf Ahmed for Kowa Party, Alhaji Adamu Uguwa for LP, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Tugar is CPC's candidate and Alhaji Musa Umar Gwaskwaram is for the Africa Liberation Party.

Others gubernatorial candidates  include Alhaji Danladi Musa (NPPP), Kawu Umar Abdullahi (APGA) and Alhaji Haliru Abdullahi (AD).

Serving Abia State Deputy Governor Chief Eric Acho Nwakanma did not make the list of candidates released by INEC for the PDP. He was said to have been replaced with Chief Emeka Ananaba said to be one time INEC Commissioner. Nwakanma's name however was not forwarded because he was considered not qualified as he is serving his second and last term as deputy governor. He served out first term with former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and was returned late last year to serve with incumbent Theodore Orji.

In the PDP list were Governor Orji. Other governorship candidates were Prince Paul Ikonne for ACN, Stanley Ohajurukafor LP, Chris Akomas for PPA, Mr. Chakwuemeka  Ikpo for ANPP, Mr. Obioma Onyeaghala for Community Party of Nigeria, Mr. Emenike Owanta for Democratic  Front for Peoples Federation and Mr. Ukpabi Uchenna for AD. Others are Mr. Nwachukwu Kelechi CPC, Mr. Onuoha Christian for African Liberation Party, Onuoha Akwari for National Transformation Party, James Chibuzor for Progressive Party and  Rev. Ndukwe Ndukwe for National Conscience Party, Samuel Eke for Citizens Popular Party and Reagan John Ufomba John Agbara for APGA.

Source: INEC recants on Alao-Akala, Chime, displays more names

[NewsCaster]