CROSS RIVER APC: As Senator Owan Enoh Takes Prince Otu, APC, INEC To Court
Margaret Akpa
The issues that usually rears it’s ugly head in elections is the issues of conduct of primaries of political parties and issues arising from candidate.
The new electoral Act 2022 started sometimes in 2018 before the 2019 general elections and expectation of the citizens of this country that a new electoral Act will be enacted for the purpose of the 2023 general elections was high.
The Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022 provides as follows; (1) Every political party shall give the commission at least 21 days notice of candidates for party primaries. Section 84 provides as follows; (1) A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions which shall be monitored by the Commission.
Consensus Candidate
(9) A political party that adopts a consensus candidate shall secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the position, indicating their voluntary withdrawal from the race and their endorsement of the consensus candidate. (10) Where a political party is unable to secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct or indirect primaries for the nomination of candidates for the aforesaid elective positions. (11) A special convention or nomination congress shall be held to ratify the choice of consensus candidates at designated centres at the National, State, Senatorial, Federal and State Constituencies, as the case may be. Political Appointee not Eligible as a Voting Delegate or Aspirant. (12) No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of 8 any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election. (13) Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this Act in the conduct
(14) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or rules of a political party, an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of this Act and the guidelines of a political party have not been complied with in the selection or nomination of a candidate of a political party for election, may apply to the Federal high court for redress.
The Application is to be filed 14 days after and Originating Motion to determine Whether having been disqualified by the screening committee and screening appeal committee for questionable academics credentials and failure to produce his first school leaving certificate and WACE certificate.
Prince Otu ought not to have participated in the election primaries of the APC conducted on the 26th May 2022, because the All Progressives Congress (APC), had disqualified him from the Cross River state governorship race over his conviction and discrepancies in educational qualifications.
Barr Margaret Akpa is Legal Practitioner in Nigeria with interest in Politics and Humanitarian services.
margaretakpa77@gmail.com
