INEC POSTPONES ANAMBRA CENTRAL RE-RUN INDEFINITELY

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has postponed indefinitely the Anambra Central senatorial rerun slated to hold this Saturday, 5th March 2016.

Briefing newsmen Tuesday at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre Awka during Election Stakeholders Forum, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Lawrence Azubuike said the postponement was as a result of court injunction received by the Commission’s Headquarters Abuja yesterday.

When contacted, the State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Chinedu Nkwonta said his party was not aware of any postponement as they were busy conducting their campaign in a community within Anambra Central Senatorial District.

“We are not aware of any postponement as we are still intensifying our campaign. Anybody who is holding somebody’s right, when he gets tired; he will release it”, Mr Nkwonta maintained.

On his part, the State Chairman of Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) Comrade Chief Mathias Emeke expressed shock over the postponement, adding that the party would restategize to win the election whenever INEC decided to conduct the election.

According to him, “this kind of postponement goes with a lot of irregularities that doesn’t produce the right winner. We are not happy about the postponement at all”.

A PDP stalwart, Dr Alex Obiogbolu expressed happiness that INEC had allowed them to participate in the poll, stressing that PDP would restrategise to recapture the seat.

It could be recalled that Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu on December 7, 2015 set aside the election of Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered that fresh election be held in
the Anambra Central Senatorial District within 90 days.

In response to an appeal filed by Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the lead judgement read by Justice A.H Yahaya stated that the election of Mrs Ekwunife on 28th March, 2015, did not meet the provision of the Electoral Act.