Crisis in Anambra PDP deepens over candidates as Anambra House of Assembly law was thrown to dustbin by PDP

Indication emerged, yesterday, that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was heading toward a confrontation with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over its candidates in Anambra State, as the national leadership of the party, yesterday, ordered all its candidates in the state for next month’s general election to commence campaigns.

Recall that list of candidates submitted by PDP to INEC after its primaries in Anambra State was different from the list released by INEC.

In a statement, yesterday, by PDP National Secretary, Professor Olawale Oladipo, said it was the sole responsibility of a party to nominate candidates for elections, contending that the PDP had no doubts that its duly nominated candidates would prevail candidates of the party.

Oladipo said: “The attention of the leadership of the PDP has been drawn to a law recently enacted by the Anambra State Government banning people who had been screened out by INEC from campaigning as candidates in the forthcoming elections. It is clear that this law is targeted at the members of our great Party who have challenged the list of candidates published by INEC in courts of competent jurisdiction.

“It would be recalled that in accordance with the Constitution of our country and the extant electoral laws, our great party conducted primary election for the selection of candidates to represent the party during the elections.

“Following the conclusion of the exercise, our party submitted the names of the duly nominated candidates to INEC as the candidates of the party. However, in deference to a court order, INEC published a different set of names as the candidates of our party. This action has been challenged to court and indeed the order relied on by INEC has been appealed against.

“It is trite law (as attested to by several judicial decisions) that it is the responsibility of the party to nominate its candidates for an election. We do not, therefore, have any doubts that our duly nominated candidates will prevail in the end as the candidates of our party.

“We view with grave concern the action of the Anambra State Government in legislating on a matter that is beyond its competence and indeed sub-judice. The attempt to prevent our duly nominated and very popular candidates from campaigning goes against the core tenets of democratic freedoms and a denial of the fundamental human rights of the affected candidates.”

The statement added that “this cannot be allowed to happen in a free society as ours.”

“Consequently we wish to direct our candidates to go on with their campaigns pending the determination of the suits regarding the authentic candidates of our arty in Anambra State.”