Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Charles Soludo remains de-listed from the list of contestants for the scheduled February 6 2009, governorship race in Anambra State except the court amends the present situation that he is fit to participate via a declaration today.
This was disclosed in a chat with INEC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umenger yesterday.
According to him, the commission as a law abiding body had no choice than to follow the due process of law as stipulated by the constitution.
He explained further that “if you observe, we stayed clear off all the intra party wranglings because we do not want to be seen to be partisan in any form.”
“We equally made sure transparency remains our hallmark as far as the Anambra poll is concerned hence we have done all within our reach to ensure a credible governorship election come next year.”
“Whatever the outcome of the judgment, we shall abide by it and carry out its instructions to the latter. Our position is that Soludo remains de-listed until then”he added..
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is determined to abide by whatever ruling is given by the Appeal Court today on the suitability of Professor Chukwuma Soludo as its candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
The party’s assertions nonetheless, several party stakeholders are pledging to oppose his candidature should the court affirm him as the rightful candidate of the party. Party stakeholders cite what they allege to be arrogance and aloofness for their opposition.
It could be recalled that an Appeal court in Abuja had halted the former apex bank boss from parading himself as the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which made the apex electoral body to drop his name from the list of the contestants last week.
Also, last week in Awka the state capital of Anambra State at a stakeholders confab hosted by INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu announced the names in the approved list and the name of Soludo was missing.
He had told the stakeholders that the list of candidates that were announced would be published and compact disks containing the list of all registered voters would be given to each of the political parties for scrutiny,
Iwu had also told them that “to ensure neutrality and transparency, all electoral officers would be transferred out and candidates were free to send their chief agents to take down the serial numbers on ballot papers at the point of distribution on the eve of the election.”
Source: Vanguardngr.com
very interesting.