In a press release made available to our correspondent over the weekend, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have rejected the results of the Cross River North Senatorial by-election while calling for a fresh election NEGROIDHAVEN can say authoritatively.
In a statement signed by Beatrice Ekpe Edrah the senatorial candidate in the just concluded by-election, the NNPP is refusing the results declared by INEC on four grounds of deliberate manipulation of age, refusal to inspect election sensitive materials, poor representation by party agents at pooling units during elections and thus denial of right to be voted for.
While accusing INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Cross River, Dr Heart of publicly pledging loyalty to the ruling political party, the PDP, Edrah argued that ‘My party and I have substantial reasons why we are rejecting the outcome of this elections and calling for a fresh elections that is devoid of bias and marginalization.
‘1. The Independent National Electoral Commission and it agents deliberately allocated an age far different from what was submitted to the commission under a sworn affidavit. This action was carried out by the Commission to present me as a liar to the electorate.
2. The Independent National Electoral Commission and its agents refused my Political Party the right to inspect sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Calabar Office and the subsequent movement of the said materials.
3. The Chapter Chairmen of my party (the NNPP) were refused access to my party agents tags thereby denying me the right of been properly represented by my agents across the polling booths.
4. My rights to be voted for by over 130,000 eligible voters and thereby making me the winner of the elections was denied and jeopardised.
‘Again, the Independent National Electoral Commission and its agents announced the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with no eligible candidate captured in the result sheet and ballot papers as the winner of the said elections.’
Edrah wants the Elections Petition Tribunal to determine the following questions: 1. Whether a Political Party according to section 65 subsection 1(a) subsection 2 (b) section 66 subsection 1 (d) and (h)of the 1999 constitution as amended and section 30, 31 subsection 1, 2 and 3 of the 2010 electoral act as amended can participate in any elections in Nigeria without a Candidate.
2. Whether the Independent National Electoral Commission can declare a Political Party without a Candidate as the winner of any elections conducted in Nigeria.
3. Whether a Candidate of any Political Party whose personal particulars are not published within the time frame allowed by law can be deemed to be duly nominated by that Political Party.
4. Whether the Independent National Electoral Commission and its agent has the right to arbitrarily change the age of the candidate of any Political Party.
5. Whether a Candidate of a Political Party who lied about his or her age can still be trusted by the electorate and the society.
6. Whether a person who breached public trust on conviction can stand elections without pardon.
7. Whether the Independent National Electoral Commission has the right to disqualify the agents of any Political Party, and
8. Whether a voter whose PVC was not accredited through the electronic means of the card reader or incident form can be eligible to vote in any elections under the electoral act.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Sunday 6th December declared the candidate of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Stephen Odey, winner of Saturday’s Cross River north Senatorial by-elections. The PDP candidate, Dr Stephen Odey, scored 129,207 votes to defeat other eight contestants.
