INEC Removes Imo PDP Candidate, Agulanna, From House Of Reps Election List

The Independent National Electoral Commission has removed the name of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency, Imo State, Albert Agulanna from the list of House of Representatives candidates scheduled for the February 25 election.

The withdrawal followed the court order by the Appeal Court in January.

A check on the INEC website by our correspondent on Wednesday reveals that the electoral body, based on a court order, did not include any name as a candidate of the party.

The electoral commission added “court order” as part of the reasons for the withdrawal.

In January, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked the federal constituency candidate of the PDP in the state, Albert Agulanna.

The court, in its ruling, also ordered that a fresh primary be held in the constituency within the next 14 days. However, an Appeal Court in Owerri barred the INEC and the PDP from going on to conduct a re-run primary election for Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala federal constituency of the state.

Prior to this, INEC had said it did not monitor the re-run primaries of the PDP in that constituency.

The Public Relations Officer of INEC in the state, Dr Chinenye Osuji disclosed the absence of the commission last Monday, while addressing journalists in Owerri.

Osuji said, “Any political party that decides to conduct its primaries in the absence of INEC is an effort in futility. INEC has to be present to monitor the exercise.

“If PDP decides to conduct the re-run primaries for Aboh Mbaise-Ngor Okpala Federal Constituency without INEC’s involvement, they know what they have done. So, it’s not for us to say.”

Meanwhile, Agulanna has challenged the decision of the appellate court in the Supreme Court.

The apex court, on Tuesday, resumed hearing on the suit and after adopting processes, adjourned the case till March 3 for ruling.