Councillorship Aspirants Drag Obi, ANSIEC To Court

Councillorship candidates of PDP in Anambra have dragged Gov. Peter Obi and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) to the Federal High Court, Awka, for failing to conduct council poll.

Also joined in the suit are the Federal Government of Nigeria and Chairman of ANSIEC, Prof. Titus Eze.

Mr Ikechukwu Okeakpu, State Coordinator, PDP Councillorship Candidates, which filed the suit made this known to newsmen in Awka on Tuesday.

He said that aspirants from other political parties were also worried over the delay in the conduct of local council poll in the state.

Our correspondent reports that the 21 local council areas and 363 wards in the state had yet to have chairmen and councillors manning their affairs for the past 11 years.

The case which was mentioned for the first time, asked the court to compel the state government and ANSIEC to conduct local government elections within three months.

It also requested the court to order Anambra Government to stop spending local government funds, pending the conduct of the election.

However, hearing could not go on in the matter due to the absence of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Emmanuel Chukwuma and the ANSIEC chairman.

Counsel to the applicant, Mr Izuchukwu Nsofor, had earlier notified the court that notices were served to the parties concerned and wondered why they failed to put up appearance.

The state counsel, Mr Christian Agali, however, pleaded with the court to extend the time of hearing to enable other parties involved in the case to put up appearance.

The judge, Justice Peter Olayiwola, therefore, adjourned the case to February 22 for hearing.

Okeakpu explained that the candidates had bought forms for the election in 2010.

“We also printed posters and did our campaigns. Along the line, ANSIEC suspended the election. Today the government is running the local government with committee of persons he constituted himself,” he said.

He said his group had yet to be told why the elections had not been conducted.

The coordinator said they had to seek redress through legal means,adding that “the use of caretaker committees or transition committees for the running of local government is a breach of the constitution.”

The PDP state chairman, Mr Ken Emekayi, said the state needed constitutionally and democratically elected chairmen and councillors in the local government areas in Anambra.

“Apart from thatit is an infringement on the constitution of Nigeria and perpetration of injustice to the grass roots. We are very much.