Chief Press Secretary, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, has said that the commission is waiting on the court’s decision as regards the candidacy of the All Progressive Congress, APC, for the Bayelsa State governorship election.
Gatekeepers News reports INEC’s Spokesman made the remarks when he was featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Friday.
Oyekanmi said the commission can’t make such decisions until a court order is given.
In September, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylvia.
The plaintiff, Hon Isikima Johnson, said that Sylva had been elected into governorship office twice, and took the oath of office and oath of allegiance twice.
Johnson added that the April 14 primary election that produced Sylva was illegal and unlawful having been allegedly done in contravention with APC’s guidelines, PUNCH reports.
However, Justice Inyang Ekwo said Johnson failed to establish issues raised in the suit to warrant the disqualification of Sylva from the governorship poll.
Oyekanmi when asked if the APC has a governorship candidate in the state, said, “This is the situation – when there are legal cases, you have to wait until the end of the legal issues.
“Because things can happen within a few days or a few weeks. If you have something today and the person is appealing to a higher court, you have to wait until the higher court takes a decision.”
He added, “What I am saying is that, when the final decision on that particular matter is taken, the commission will come out to say, ‘This is exactly what the situation is’. But please, let’s take it easy, and let’s wait till the commission takes that decision.”
The INEC Spokesman added that the commission respects court orders, noting that, “When a court order comes and says we should drop a particular name and accept another, we do so. And then in the remarks column, we now say ‘by court order’.”
