Obuah Blasts INEC Over PDP Candidate’s Disqualification

The Rivers State Chapter
of the Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P) has rejected the disqualification of it’s candidate for Akuku-Toru Constituency Two, Tonye Awari Alalibo by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.
The chairman of the party, Bro, Felix Obuah, who condemned the INEC action in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, described the disqualification as illegal and mischievous.
According  to him, neither the Election Petition Tribunal nor INEC has the power to disqualify any party candidate as provided in the 2012 electoral act as amended.
He said P.D.P and it’s candidate for the constituency, Tonye Alalibo were already in court and that INEC has no power to disqualify the candidate until the court gives its verdict.
Obuah further explained that the disqualification of the candidate was done in error, saying that the issue of disqualification was not part of the subject matter before both the Electoral Petition Tribunal and Appeal Tribunal.
He said INEC was wrong to have disqualified a candidate after allowing the person to participate in the election without any objection in the first instance.
Obuah noted that the ugly development was the handiwork of the APC which he said was doing everything possible to grab power.
Also condemning INEC’s action, the Secretary of the Greater Port Harcourt City Authority (GPHC) Barr. Erastus Amortu accused the commission of colluding with the APC to deny the people their mandate in the area.
He called on the people of Akuku-Toru to remain calm as the law would take its appropriate cause.

Enoch Epelle