2023:Delta APC describes suit challenging primary election as hatchet job in futility.
From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba
Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC)has described the legal exercise embarked upon by Chief Great Ogboru challenging the conduct of the All Progressives Congress primary election in the State as a hatchet job in futility.
Ogboru, a governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) is challenging the conduct of the APC primary election which produced Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the governorship candidate in 2023 general election.
In a suit No FHC/ASB/CS/147/2022: APGA & ORS VS INEC & APC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Delta State dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State to court for violating the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the primary election of the party.
In a swift reaction, the APC State Publicity Secretary, E.V. Onojeghuo said the case was statute barred and the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain same.
A statement by the APC State Publicity Secretary described the claimants in the said suit as busybody interlopers, adding that they had no such locus as decided by the Supreme Court in a plethora of cases.
According to the Statement, a cursory reading of the provisions of section 285(14)a-c of the 1999 Constitution indicates that every pre-election matter shall be filed within 14 days. “The case of the claimants which is against the conduct of our party primaries that took place in the month of May, 2022, was just recently filed on the 18th July, 2022 well outside the period of 14 days allowed.”
The statement also read in part, “By the combined reading of Sections 29(5), 84(14) of the Electoral Act 2022, only aspirants who participated in the primaries of their political parties have the locus standi to question the validity or otherwise of such primaries.”
It, however, said that the party wishes to reassure all party faithful to remain calm as every legal step available was being taken to stoutly defend this case that is obviously a hatchet job purposely instituted to create unnecessary distraction.
The party also urged members to be rest assured that “by divine providence, nothing concocted by this league of evil axis can derail the building of a New Delta train that is being powered by the EDGE agenda locomotive destined for Government House, Asaba, come 2023.”
