The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its candidate, Governor Idris Wada, as the winner of the November 21 gubernatorial poll in Kogi state.
The PDP is also calling for the exclusion of the All Progressives Congress from the supplementary election which has been fixed for December 5.
The party made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of its national caucus meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, November 25.
The PDP insisted that following the death of Abubakar Audu, the APC candidate, the party has legally ‘crashed out’ from the race.
INEC had declared the poll as inconclusive due to cancellation of election in 91 polling units in 18 local government areas and order for a rerun.
The apex electoral body added that supplementary election in units where election was cancelled. INEC asked had gave the APC the opportunity to replace Audu with another candidate before December 5.
The move by the PDP has reportedly irked PDP which condemned the electoral body position stating no known law or constitutional provision allowed for the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced.
The party threatened to challenge INEC’s decision in the court.
“The PDP completely rejects the decision of INEC in yielding to the unlawful prompting of a clearly partisan Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami, to allow APC to substitute a candidate in the middle of an election, even when such has no place in the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“With the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has no valid candidate in the election, leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada, as the winner of the election,” the party disclosed.
The PDP is also calling for the exclusion of the All Progressives Congress from the supplementary election which has been fixed for December 5.
The party made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of its national caucus meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, November 25.
The PDP insisted that following the death of Abubakar Audu, the APC candidate, the party has legally ‘crashed out’ from the race.
INEC had declared the poll as inconclusive due to cancellation of election in 91 polling units in 18 local government areas and order for a rerun.
The apex electoral body added that supplementary election in units where election was cancelled. INEC asked had gave the APC the opportunity to replace Audu with another candidate before December 5.
The move by the PDP has reportedly irked PDP which condemned the electoral body position stating no known law or constitutional provision allowed for the substituting of candidates, once the ballot process has commenced.
The party threatened to challenge INEC’s decision in the court.
“The PDP completely rejects the decision of INEC in yielding to the unlawful prompting of a clearly partisan Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami, to allow APC to substitute a candidate in the middle of an election, even when such has no place in the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“With the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu, the APC has no valid candidate in the election, leaving INEC with no other lawful option than to declare the PDP candidate, Capt. Idris Wada, as the winner of the election,” the party disclosed.
