PDP faults INEC on disqualification of its candidate

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has faulted the disqualification of its candidate, Tonye Awari Alalibo, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the Akuku Toru state constituency 2 elections.

State chairman, Felix Obuah, said the announcement of APC candidate, as the winner of the March 19 rerun state legislative polls, was not only illegal and mischievous but also highly vexatious.

Obuah faulted any ground upon which the election petition tribunal, including INEC, had the power to disqualify any party candidate, under the 2012 Electoral Act as amended, and for which the PDP and its candidate are already in court.

“Therefore, the purported disqualification of our candidate for Akuku-Toru Constituency 2, when the PDP logo was on the ballot paper and our candidate participated and won the election is preposterous,” he said.

Obuah described the so-called disqualification, as the handiwork of APC, which he said was doing everything possible to grab power.

He also described the result of Opobo/Nkoro state assembly election, which the APC won, as a rape of democracy, adding that the results collated from the polling units in all the wards showed that its candidate, Adonye Diri , was the clear winner.

Obuah has however congratulated candidates of the party who emerged victorious in the results so far.

He said the victory of the candidates of the party has once again confirmed the popularity and acceptability of the PDP in Rivers State.

He enjoined Rivers people to remain resolute, as they await the release of the remaining results and new date for the re-run election in the eight local council areas.