The Peoples Democratic Party has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, to nullify the participation of the All Progressives Congress, in the December 5, 2020 Imo North senatorial by-election over conflicting court orders.
Candidate of the PDP in the election, Emmanuel Okewulonu, made the call while briefing newsmen in Owerri on Monday.
Okewulonu argued that the Electoral Act does not allow a political party to contest an election without a valid candidate. He urged INEC to declare the PDP which garnered the second-highest number of votes in the election winner.
He said, “Since two different courts of competent jurisdiction have disqualified the two major contenders from the APC, it means that the party has no candidate and is therefore disqualified from participating in the election”.
“If the said political party claims to have two candidates going into the election, that still disqualifies the party and we must be able to uphold the sanctity of the judiciary.”
“We hereby call on INEC to disqualify the APC on these grounds and declare the PDP winner of the Imo North senatorial by-election in line with the Electoral Act as amended.”
Also speaking, Imo chairman of the PDP, Charles Ugwu, said the party would not allow what he described as a “rape of democracy.”
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