PDP sues Tinubu for appointing APC member A’Ibom REC

PDP sues Tinubu for appointing APC member A’Ibom REC

 The Peoples Democratic Party in
Akwa Ibom State has dragged President Bola Tinubu to court for allegedly
appointing a member of his party, the All Progressives Congress as Resident
Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

 

The suit was filed by the
Chairman and Secretary of the state PDP, Aniekan Akpan and  Harrison Ekpo, respectively.

 

They are challenging the choice
of  Etekamba Umoren as the REC for the
state.

 

The Senate,
on Wednesday, confirmed the appointments of seven out of 10 RECs forwarded to
it on Tuesday by the President, which included Umoren.

 

In the suit marked
FHC/ABJ/CS/146/2023 filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the
plaintiffs listed as defendants, Tinubu, the Senate and Umoren.

 

The plaintiffs attached to their
originating summons coloured photographs of Umoren on campaign grounds wearing
the APC clothes and also clips of him in APC dresses campaigning for the Senate
President, Godswill Akpabio.

 

The opposition party chieftains
are urging the court to declare that 
“the 1st defendant (President Tinubu) cannot present the 3rd defendant
(Umoren) to the 2nd defendant (Senate) for confirmation as REC for Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria.”

 

They are seeking a court
declaration that “the appointment of the 3rd defendant as REC for Akwa Ibom
State is unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void ab initio and of no
effect whatsoever.”

 

The plaintiffs want the court to
issue an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Senate from allowing,
permitting and/or confirming Umoren as a REC and a further injunction
restraining Umoren from acting, assuming the office and/or parading himself as
a REC for Akwa Ibom State.”

 

Meanwhile, the PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, addressed the press in Abuja on Thursday,
stating that the opposition party was opposed to the choice of Umoren as Akwa
Ibom State REC.

 

Ologunagba alleged that Umoren’s
appointment was a plot by the ruling party to manipulate future polls and
perpetuate itself in power.

 

The PDP scribe said, “Of
particular concern is the brazen imposition of a card-carrying member and
prominent leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Etekamba Umoren, as the INEC
Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, despite the loud and
widespread outcry and rejection by Nigerians, and particularly our party, the
PDP, and the people of Akwa Ibom State.

 

“The PDP, therefore, in clear and
unequivocal terms rejects the imposition of Etekamba Umoren as INEC REC for
Akwa Ibom State being conceived in iniquity and in flagrant violation of the
express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999
(as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 and the universal demand of impartiality
and non-partisanship of an electoral body and its officials.”

 

Ologunagba described Umoren’s
appointment as a grievous assault on INEC’s credibility as an institution of
democracy and the sanctity of the electoral process.

 

He revealed that the PDP is aware
of the mission handed to Umoren by the APC leadership to use the office of the
REC to allegedly compromise sensitive processes, materials and systems
including voter registration, collection of Voter Cards, doctoring of Voter
Register, delineation of electoral constituencies and coercion of INEC staff.

 

Ologunagba declared Umoren’s
appointment as provocative and vexatious defilement of the independence,
integrity and credibility of the electoral system.

 

“Etekamba Umoren should therefore
steer clear of INEC office in Akwa Ibom State. President Bola Tinubu should
immediately commence the process of appointing a neutral Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State so as to avert crisis and illegitimacy in
future elections in the state,” he said.

Source: PDP sues Tinubu for appointing APC member A’Ibom REC

 - NigerianEye

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