Abia LG Election: APC Scores Victory As Court Stops ABSIEC From Imposing Fees On Candidates

The opposition All Progressive Party(APC) in Abia State has scored a major political victory in its effort to ensure a level playing field for all political parties participation in the local government election to be held on December 18 after a state high court ruled that the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission conduct the election without charging candidates any fee.

The party had gone to court to challenge ABSIEC after it imposed N480,000 levy on chairmanship candidates and N145,000 on councillorship candidates.

“How can an electoral body already funded be demanding N480,000 from all Chairmanship candidates and N145,000 from all Councillorship candidates? They think everybody is stupid and daft in Abia. What’s the money for when they’re already funded in the state’s budget?,” the party had stated in a press statement issued before  the judgment.

According to a statement signed by Chief Uche C. Ihediwa, the Abia State Attorney- General and Commissioner For Justice, the Aba Division of the Abia State High Court presided by Justice A.U. Kalu has ordered that ABSIEC should make available relevant forms to political parties wishing to contest the local government elections without charging any refundable deposit.

 “Furthermore, the court ordered that ABSIEC should not exclude any candidate of the political parties from participating in the electoral process.

“It also ordered the All Progressive Congress (APC) to enter into undertaking as to damages up to the maximum of the sum received by the ABSIEC from the candidates of All Progressive Congress (APC),” the statement said.

With the new development, the LG election is expected to hold as scheduled, unless there is a superior court order.

APC, Abia State chapter, had earlier obtained an order restraining ABSIEC from collecting any amount from nominated chairmanship and Councillorship candidates until the matter is treated in court.