APGA National Chairman calls for immediate review of Electoral Act

Dr. Victor Oye, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has called for the immediate review of the Electoral Act, saying that the provisions gave undue advantage to respondents.

Oye said this on Wednesday in Umuahia while briefing newsmen on the party’s reaction to the judgments so far delivered by the National and State Assembly Tribunal sitting in Umuahia.

The tribunal dismissed the petitions of APGA candidates challenging the election of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Abia north and Abia Central Senatorial Districts, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa and Sen. Theodore Orji, respectively, as well as candidates for state House of Assembly.

The APGA national chairman said that the Electoral Act favoured the respondents and placed serious onus on the petitioners to prove their petitions ‘’beyond reasonable doubt”.

‘’The Electoral Act is skewed from the outset in favour of the respondents.

‘’With the present provisions of the Electoral Act, it is difficult for the petitioner to get justice.’’

‘’When flagrant manipulation of election cases is so obvious, how can someone be expected to prove the matter beyond reasonable doubt?’’ he asked.

He said that the party subscribed to the position of President Muhammadu Buhari ‘’that our electoral law should be subjected to real scrutiny”.

Oye said that the party was solidly behind all its candidates, seeking to reclaim their mandates at the different tribunals across the federation.

The national chairman called for calm among the candidates and their supporters, urging them not to resort to self-help.

He said that the party would exhaust all the legal means available to reclaim its mandate, including going to the Supreme Court, where necessary.

‘’APGA is a law-abiding party that would always use the legal framework in its activities.’’

He also spoke on the suspension of the former Minority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Mr Abraham Oba, saying that the issues that led to the suspension had been resolved and that Oba would soon return to the house.

Oba, representing Aba Central Constituency, was suspended about three months ago for leading other APGA members in the house to address a news conference, dissociating themselves from the approval of N30 billion loan for the state government.