ADP candidate protests exclusion in ballot paper despite court order

Calls for fresh poll

The Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency for last Saturday’s House of Representatives poll in Abia State, Chief Paul Meregini, yesterday, expressed worry over exclusion of his party’s logo by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ballot paper, despite Federal High Court, Abuja, order of November 23, 2022, in Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1851/2022, for INEC to upload omitted ADP candidates list in its portal.

Meregini, who produced copy of the said order of the Abuja High Court, delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, while speaking to The Guardian, yesterday, said by the omission/exclusion, he was not only prevented from voting in Saturday’s polls, but also from being voted for as a candidate of the party.

He noted that his party had taken INEC to court when he initially reported to his party concerning the omission. He lamented that instead of INEC complying with the order, it printed the ballot papers used in the election without the ADP logo.

Meregini also wondered why a political party, which did not have a candidate in his constituency, had its logo printed in the ballot paper, while that of ADP, which had candidate/s, including himself, who was elected from undisputed ADP primary, and observed by INEC, was omitted or excluded. He queried why INEC disrespected/disregarded the said court order.

He consequently urged the electoral umpire to do the needful and comply with the order by including ADP candidates in its portal, reprint the ballot papers with ADP logo, and conduct a fresh election in the constituency.

According to Meregini, he had, before Saturday’s polls, believed that INEC had complied with the order only to see that it did not when he was verified for voting and discovered the omission of ADP logo on the ballot papers.