The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has denied reports that it has barred the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, from the November 6 Anambra Governorship election.
Recall that INEC spokesman, Festus Okoye, in a statement on Wednesday said APGA in Anambra was barred from the poll for violating the Electoral Act 2010 as amended allegedly failing to comply with Section 85 of the Electoral Act.
The electoral umpire said that APGA did not notify it when it purportedly held its ad hoc congress to elect ward delegates for the party’s governorship primary.
Reacting to the ban in a statement on Thursday, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra said APGA informed INEC of its ad hoc delegates’ congress that took place on the 15th and 16th of June 2021 respectively.
Speaking on the issue with Vanguard, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, refuted media reports saying that APGA or Soludo would not be on the ballot for the November 6 poll.
He said: “I don’t know what the brouhaha is all about. What I know is there is no faction in APGA. The officers of APGA are on our website. Their names have not been changed. The Chairman came to our stakeholders’ meeting and he was welcomed.
”There was no time that INEC said that APGA will not be on the ballot. There was a letter between the commission and APGA but mischievous people are misinterpreting. We have not said anything about APGA not being on the ballot for the November 6 election. If it is so, we will issue a release to that effect.”
This article was originally published on Nigeria News