It is too late to stop my senatorial candidacy, Nnamani tells PDP

Embattled Chairman of Senate Committee on New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and Cooperation in Africa, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, has chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the attempt to withdraw his candidacy for Saturday’s Enugu East senatorial poll.

He said PDP should familiarise itself with contents of Nigeria’s electoral laws, stressing that the party cannot be accusing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of breaching the Electoral Act, on the one hand and perpetrating impunity against the judiciary, on the other.

Recall that PDP National Working Committee (NWC), yesterday, wrote formally to INEC to announce its withdrawal from Saturday’s senatorial contest for Enugu East on the grounds that its candidate for the poll, Nnamani, had been expelled from the party for anti-party conducts.

But, in a statement made available to The Guardian, in Abuja, yesterday, Nnamani said PDP lacks the locus standi to abort his candidacy, insisting: “My candidature for Enugu East senatorial race is irrevocable.”

Disclosing that his people and constituents have endorsed him, Nnamani, who is a former governor of Enugu State, contended that his purported expulsion from PDP is a ruse, saying: “I have been properly cleared by INEC to contest Saturday’s polls.

“Besides, the PDP NWC cannot unilaterally remove me from the contest, because my purported expulsion is already subject of litigation before the Federal High Court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/163/2023, seeking to set aside the said expulsion from the party.”

The Senator noted that he had, in a letter through his counsel, Rickey Tarfa, notified INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, that nothing has warranted him to withdraw from the race.

While assuring his constituents and supporters that his candidature for the election is irrevocable, Nnamani, who incurred PDP’s wrath by openly supporting the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, said it was too late to stop him.

He remarked, through his counsel, that he is already seeking an order of injunction against INEC from recognising and acting upon the purported expulsion by the NWC.