BAYELSA TRIBUNAL: ANDP HAD NO VALIDLY NOMINATED RUNNING MATE FOR BAYELSA ELECTION - INEC INSISTS

INEC Presents The Fact Before The Public:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given indication that it will respond to some of the issues raised by  the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal when it gets full details of the judgment.

The  INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, stated this in a reaction to the nullification of the state’s governorship election which produced Sen. Duoye Diri.

Okoye, however, noted that the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) nomination for the election was invalid while the party did not exercise its right guaranteed in the Fourth Alteration to the constitution by filing its suit within 14 days of the accrual of the said right.

He said that the ANDP conducted party primaries and submitted the name of one Peter  David as its Deputy Governorship candidate.

“As at the time of the submission of the name of the said candidate, he was 34 years-old, contrary to Section 177(b) of the constitution that makes it mandatory for a candidate for such office to attain the age of 35 years to be eligible to contest the election.

“In the candidate’s statutory declaration of age and affidavit attached to his form, the party stated that he was born on  Feb. 10, 1985.

“On Sept. 13, 2019, the commission wrote to the party drawing their attention to the constitutional age requirement of 35 years for Governorship/Deputy Governorship candidates as stipulated in Section 177(b) of the constitution.

“The commission also informed them of the invalidity of their nomination for the  Nov. 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State,” he said.

Okoye also recalled that on Sept. 21, 2019 and in response to the letter of the commission dated  Sept. 13, 2019, the ANDP wrote the commission acknowledging the invalidity of it nomination and forwarding the name of one Miss Inowei Janeth as their new Deputy Governorship candidate.

“On Sept. 27,  2019, the commission informed the party that the deadline for the submission of nominations as provided for in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities released by the commission on May 16, 2019 was  Sept. 9, 2019.

“The commission also informed the party that since they did not submit valid nomination, they couldn’t validly substitute any candidate.

“Consequently the name and logo of the party did not appear and was not reflected in the ballot paper..