Enugu LGA Election: APC Passes No Confidence Vote On ENSIEC

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, September 10th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As the November 4, 2017 council Area election in Enugu State‎, gathers momentum, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state says it has no confidence on the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, for the conduct of a credible election.

The party hinged its doubt on allegation that the Chairman and all members of the Commission are card carrying members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the state.

Addressing newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Enugu shortly after its screening committee led by Hon. Hycienth Ngwu, met with the 17 local government chairmen of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, the state chairman, insisted that going by the composition of ENSIC membership, it will be difficult for the Commission to discharge its assignment unbiased.

Nwoye, who spoke alongside the screening committee chairman, Hon, Ngwu, pointed out that aside the Commission’s membership, the ad hoc staff for the council polls are also supporters of PDP.

Ngwu, who is equally the South- East publicity secretary of APC, had during the media briefing, unveiled the party’s plan and readiness for the election, with a warning that it would resist any attempt by the ENSIEC to disqualify any of the APC candidates, as experienced during the last council polls.

The screening committee chairman, noted that it is only the court of law that has the powers to disqualify party candidates for election, and not electoral body as ENSIEC.

Ngwu, assured that his committee would do a thorough job during the screening exercise, on Saturday, 11th, in line with the relevant electoral laws and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, adding that “APC will field credible and qualified candidates in all the 17 council areas and 260 political wards for the election. He hinted

According him, going by “the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, the ENSIEC lacked the power to disqualify any candidate presented to it by a political party.

Nwgu added: “What the law requires the ENSIEC to do is to publish the name of the candidates within 7 days. Only the court can give order for the disqualification of a candidate.

“We are saying this because of what happened in Enugu State in the past when our candidate were disqualified without giving them any paper to show why they were disqualified. We are not going to accept such again”, he stressed.

“We in the APC believe in law and order, that’s why we are complying with every democratic step to get our candidates for the election. We also have a sub-committee that will screen the councillorship aspirants.

Dr. Nwoye, said “‎we have absolute no confidence on ENSIEC and the reason is clear. What we have is a situation where all the members of ENSIEC, the chairman, the commissioners, down to the last person are all card-carring members of the PDP.

“They are already biased; we have not heard that any of them tore his membership card of the PDP. They all attend PDP stakeholders meeting where they decide on the party’s candidates.

“So, how can they say that they will be fair? We can’t have confidence in people selected by their masters. All they did was to appoint their political associates.

“But we must warn that if they do things untoward, we will approach the law, the police, the EFCC; there is already a prima-facie evidence against them.

“However, we will not back down; we are going into this election prepared and we can’t be intimidated out of the race.‎”

The APC chairman, had tongue lashed the PDP for lack of internal democracy in its process of choosing candidates for the election, saying “PDP is busy with their selection process; they have already hoodwinked the general public that they will do primary election.

“How can you do so when there is no democratic process? We are fulfilling the law as opposed to what the PDP is doing.

“That’s why democrats are defecting in their numbers. The other day, a former secretary of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area defected with over 3000 others.”

African Examiner reports that ironically, a former chairman of ENSIC, Dr. Bony Eneh, who recently defected from the PDP, to APC is the secretary of the election Committee, as well as member of the screening committee.