PDP threatens suit against EDSIEC over proposed Edo council poll

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to commence legal action against the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) over what it described as undemocratic and unconstitutional election guidelines and timetable released for the conduct of the local government election scheduled March 3rd, 2018.

The chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Dan Orbih, alleged that the guidelines for the conduct of the election as released by the commission contravenes some section of the Electoral Act. He said the PDP objects and rejects the composition of EDSIEC on the basis that it observes that members of the commission are allegedly card carrying members of APC.

Orbih made this known to newsmen in Benin City yesterday.

He said over 3,000 members of APC who are dissatisfied with ongoing APC Congress have come to identify and declare for the PDP citing the undemocratic guidelines as released by EDSIEC, which has disenfranchised members of the APC.

The PDP Chairman said the issues for determination is as follows as the Edo State House of Assembly cannot validly amend the Edo State Local Government Electoral Law to abridge the length of notice of poll stated in section 30(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) having regard to paragraphs 11 and 12 or part 2 of the second schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

He said no valid Local Government Election can be conducted in Edo State without giving the  Claimant and other stakeholders the mandatory 90 days’ notice of poll stated in section 30(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

Orbih said the amendment to the Local Government Electoral Law made by the Edo State House of Assembly on 12th December, 2017 was done in violation of the mandatory provisions of the Rules of the Edo State House of Assembly on law making process in the House and Section 100(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).