After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Endorsed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Edo State governorship election the Ali Modu Sheriff led faction of the party has resolved to drag the electoral body to court over the matter.
Ize-Iyamu’s name was submitted to INEC late on Monday by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee, while the attempt by Modu-Sheriff faction to submit the name of Matthew Iduoriyekwemwen as its own factional candidate was turned down by INEC.
Both camps had earlier on Friday approached INEC to submit the list of the party’s governorship candidate, but INEC objected and asked both camps to come back on Monday.
Makarfi and Modu-Sheriff have been locked in a battle of supremacy on who is the authentic leader of the party following the convention of the party held on May 21 in Port-Harcourt.
INEC had repeatedly told the warring factions that it will only give recognition to anyone with a valid court judgment.
While the Port Harcourt Federal High Court on July 4 gave a verdict, giving recognition to the caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the party, Modu-Sheriff faction have some interlocutory injunctions from various courts of coordinate jurisdiction to back his claim to the PDP leadership.
While the INEC officially monitored the party primary conducted by the caretaker committee, it refused to attend the primary conducted by the Modu-Sheriff faction on the premise that the mandatory 21-day notice was not given to it by the faction before conducting the primary.
The party primary was also said to have been conducted by the Modu-Sheriff faction outside the set date for such, in the calendar released for the Edo election by INEC.
While Tuesday was the official final day for submission of particulars of candidates to INEC by all political parties interested in fielding candidates for the Edo poll, the hope of the Modu-Sheriff faction was finally dashed when the electoral body refused to accept the list of candidate sent to it by the faction.
It was gathered that the list brought by Makarfi camp on Friday was rejected because the group did not include the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Port-Harcourt judgment which gave recognition to the caretaker committee as the real leadership of the party.
However, the criterion was fulfilled late Monday evening, leading to the acceptance of the name of Ize-Iyamu from the committee as the authentic candidate of PDP.
A source within the camp of Modu-Sheriff said that the matter will not be allowed to go unchallenged as the action taken by INEC is considered as lacking in justice.
The source confirmed that the name of the candidate sent to INEC which was rejected twice on Monday, was sent back yesterday (Tuesday) but was once again rejected by INEC.
The source said that the action of INEC is viewed by Modu-Sheriff as an indication that the body had taken sides with a party in the struggle for the soul of the PDP while the court was yet to make a final decision on the matter.
“It is evidently clear that INEC has become an interested party in this matter. They have chosen for themselves a leader for our party even when the courts which are having various cases before them are yet to make final pronouncement on the issue.
“The court judgment which the illegal caretaker committee is hanging on to has been challenged in the Appeal Court, and INEC is aware of this.
“We also have so many court orders recognising Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff as the authentic chairman of our party, but because the INEC has an agenda, which is to work hand in hand with Makarfi to deny the PDP the right to participate in the Edo governorship election, they are openly supporting illegality by accepting nomination from the illegal caretaker committee, while the real chairman of the party is having his real list of party candidate turned down.
“Whatever they like, let them do. As soon as the court resumes from its holiday, the first thing INEC will do is to go before it to explain why it took this illegal decision. Our lawyers have been properly briefed and the necessary things will be done”, the source said.
