PDP Threatens To Sue INEC As APC Kicks

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Politics Sunday, May 18th, 2014

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

The Enugu state chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday declared that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state has no moral justification to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to court over the disappearance of over 40 percent names of electorate from the voters’ register in the state.

African Examiner reports that over 40 percent of voters in the state, who participated in the 2011 general election have been de-registered, prompting the electoral body to fix date for fresh registration.

The PDP chairman in Enugu State, Mr. Vita Abba, had last week raised the alarm over the de-registration, threatening that the party would drag INEC to court if it fails to address the issue.

Abba, had also accused the electoral body of conniving with some politicians in the state to cause the error.

But speaking with newsmen in Enugu, state chairman of APC Dr. Ben Nwoye, directly accused PDP of being responsible for double registration of voters in the state, which he said resulted to the de-registration of 621 polling units in the state.

Nwoye however, challenged his PDP counterpart, Abba, to a debate on the matter.

The APC chairman, who said PDP is trying to go to equity with dirty hands, wondered how the ruling party, which according to him, had been the sole beneficiary from the instrumentality of electoral fraud, should be talking of draging INEC to court on an error which the same party perpetuated.

According to him, “In 2011, the PDP benefited from massive rigging, it encouraged double registration because they invited people living outside Enugu State to come back and register, and those people went back to their residences to register again”

“The PDP never understood biometrics and they have caused us this harm; does Vita Abbah want INEC to use analog voters’ register he asked.

“They (PDP) connived and had multiple registration and now they are crying wolf”.

The state APC boss, illustrated his allegation by citing his home community in Amuri ward in Nkanu West Local Government, where he said that the two polling units affected by the de-registration were totally hijacked by the PDP.

Nwoye, gave INEC a clean bill of health, saying “we now have a most credible INEC. PDP has so many fraudstars. Vita Abba should understand that it is not about PDP.

“I equally wonder why they should insinuate that Senator Ike Ekweremadu was responsible for the error. They should leave Ekweremadu alone because he even happens to be the only voice we have in this state; he is working tremendously for our people and I know he has no time for such things.

“They are like people that cheated in WASC examination, unfortunately we have to leave with the effect of malpractice”.

The APC chairman, also disclosed that the opposition party had commenced aggressive sensitization of its members affected by the de-registration to make them see the need to take part in the proposed fresh registration.

He appealed to the INEC to extend the number of days slated for the voters’ registration.

Nwoye, insisted that PDP in the state is reaping the precede of their electoral fraud, stressing that the party should stop crying fowl.