PRP Criticises INEC Over Disqualification In Ondo Elections

Former Governor of old Kaduna State and Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa has faulted the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ban the party from contesting elections in the country despite the judgment by a Federal High Court, which set aside the deregistration of the party.

Musa, in a statement issued in Kaduna, said officials of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in Ondo State, acting on the instructions from INEC, told members of PRP that they will not be allowed to participate in any election conducted in the state.

“According to the reports I have received from the Ondo State branch of the PRP, the Chairman of SIEC, Professor Olugbenga Ige told representatives of the PRP at a meeting that the PRP would not be allowed to contest any election for now pursuant of a letter he received from INEC stating that INEC would appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court, which declared the deregistration of PRP and two other political parties unconstitutional and ordered INEC to restore the status of PRP as a registered party”.

Continuing, he said, “ from the standpoint of the PRP, both INEC and SEIC in Ondo State have disobeyed the judgment of the Court, which has been duly served on these two bodies, which are also creations of the constitution under section 153 (1) (f) and 197 (1) (b)”.

The PRP Chairman added that “INEC and SEIC ought to know that by virtue of section 28 (3) 0f the constitution, the 
orders of the Federal High Court are binding on them until they are set aside by the court of appeal”.

He also pointed out that “INEC’s intention to appeal is therefore no valid reason for the SEIC, Ondo State, or any other person or body, not to obey court orders”.

Calling for the removal of INEC and SEIC leadership, he said “if President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Olusegun Mimiko are convinced that the INEC chairman and SEIC Chairman have not been instruceted by executive arms of Government to disobey court orders, then I call on President Buhari and Governor Mimiko to invoke sections 157 (1) and 201 (1) respectively, and get them removed from office on account of contemptuous disobedience of court orders”.