The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, at the weekend said the issue of who flies the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo governorship election does not rest with the commission. He said that is for the judiciary to decide.
The INEC boss, while speaking during a working visit to the headquarters of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation newspapers in Lagos, said given the numerous numbers of cases currently in court over the leadership of the PDP and the party’s governorship ticket in Edo, it is only the court that can have the final say on who the governorship candidate of the party would be.
While explaining why the commission listed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the PDP candidate when it released the list of candidates for the September 10 election, Yakubu said the decision was based on a subsisting court order. According to the INEC boss, the commission merely obeyed a court order by listing Iyamu as the candidate.
“They say they have numerous cases in court. I told you earlier that within a period of three days we got five judgments and orders. In fact, one order came with a threat that if we did not do what the court says we should do, we will be committed for contempt. At the moment, on the basis of the judgment of the Port Harcourt High Court, we accepted the nomination from the Makarfi led caretaker committee.
“We have to submit the name of a candidate by the 11th of this month. But, when we did so, we put in bracket, court order. Again, Ize-Iyamu has dragged INEC to court and was granted an interim injunction by the judge saying that we should maintain status quo. So, apart from the leadership tussle in the state, there is this one about candidacy in Edo State.
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