The All Progressives
Congress (APC) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
to conduct a fresh governorship election in Bayelsa state.
The supreme court
had nullified the election of David Lyon, candidate of the APC who was declared
winner of the election in the state in November.
The apex court asked
INEC to issue certificates of return to candidates of the party with the next
highest number of lawful votes and with the required constitutional
geographical spread in the election, and on Friday, the commission declared
Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor-elect.
But in a letter,
Adams Oshiomhole, chairman of the APC, told INEC that Diri did not meet the
requirement and that a fresh election should hold.
‘‘In the said
judgement of the Supreme Court, the candidature of our governorship and deputy
governorship candidates were nullified and the commission was ordered to issue
fresh certificate of returns with the highest number of votes and with the
required geographical spread,” the letter read.
‘’It is however to
be noted that the Supreme Court did not void the votes that our party polled at
the election and the implication of this is that the votes of the All
Progressives Congress must be reckoned with in determining whether any other
candidate polled majority of lawful votes cast in one-quarter of at least two
thirds majority of the state.
‘‘We have reviewed
the judgement of the Supreme Court and we are of the firm opinion that the
candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party cannot be issued certificate of
return and or sworn in as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State
respectively.
‘‘We are aware of
that section 179(1)(b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria mandatorily requires a candidate for an election to the office of
governor of a state to have not less than one quarter of the votes cast at the
election in each of at least two thirds of all the local government areas in
the state before the candidate can be deemed to have been duly elected as the
Governor of the State. This mandatory requirement was affirmed by the supreme
court in the judgement under reference.
“From the results
announced and duly published by the commission, it is clear that no candidates
meet this mandatory constitutional requirement, including the candidates of the
Peoples Democratic Party who only managed to poll one quarter of the votes cast
in only five local government areas.
“The candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party or any other candidate whatsoever, none satisfies
the requirement of one quarter of the votes cast in at least 2/3 of the local
government areas in the state as required by the supreme court judgement
further request that a fresh election be conducted by the commission for the
office of the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State.”
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