By David Lawani
Following allegations of imposition of candidates on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Commission has come out openly to dispel the rumour that it is under intense pressure to recognize Godswill Akpabio and Senate President, Ahmed Lawan who have been reported not to have participated in their party’s primary election in their Senatorial Districts.
Clarifying a statement on Tuesday evening, Festus Okoye Esq. National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee said this is not the first time these allegations have been flying on different social media platforms noting that the position of the Electoral Act has been explicitly stated on who should be listed on the INEC portal according to the law.
He maintained that there is no time the Commission has recognized any of the two controversial persons as party candidate because they have not met the requirements of the law and it is sad that when a request was made for the certified true copy of Form EC9 submitted, it was duty tendered but shocking that due to lack of restraints, the the facts were misrepresented.
He said: ” Not for the first time, our attention has been drawn to a story published by an online medium that the Commission has doctored, backdated and certified documents to accommodate the nominations emanating from Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts in respect of Senators Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio. Nothing can be further from the truth.
“As evidence of the alleged role played by the Commission, a certified true copy of Form 9C uploaded by their political party and received by the Commission on 17th June 2022 when the nomination portal closed was presented.
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” For clarity, the Form EC9 (submission of names of candidates by political parties) is the Form uploaded by parties on the INEC nomination portal. This is cndicated on the title of the Form which was received on 17th June 2022 when the portal closed.
“What follows is the publication of the personal particulars of nominated candidates which was done a week later. The Forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the Commission. The decision of the Commission triggered legal action which are still ongoing. It therefor, therefore, logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice.
“As part of the ongoing case in Court, a law firm requested the Commission for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Form EC9 submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District which we are duty bound to oblige them under the law. The Form was certified on 15th July 2022. If minimum care has been exercised by the promoters of the story, they would have seen the two stamps of the Commission bearing different dates on the Form. It is this Form that is now misconstrued as ININEC’sndorsement.
“For the record, the Commission has not recognised any of the two personalities as a Senatorial candidate.
“We call for responsible reportage as against the unwarranted attack on the Commission and its officials over a matter than can be easily fact checked”, Okoye stated.
It will be recalled that the Commission has at various times denied and also maintains that aspirants who didn’t participate in a valid party primaries conducted by political parties will not have their particulars and documents uploaded on the Commission’s portal as doing that will be tantamount to illegality.
