INEC To APC: Our Hands Are Tied, You Remain Barred From Rivers Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) remain disqualified from the 2019 general elections in Rivers State.

Speaking as a guest on Channels TV’s ‘Sunday Politics’, INEC Commissioner, Festus Okoye, said the decision of the electoral body was in line with a judgment delivered by Justice Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Port Harcour asking INEC to bar all APC candidates from elections in the state.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission acts on the basis of existing facts,” said Okoye.

“The facts on the ground as of today is that the Federal High Court Porthacourt Judicial division, delivered two judgements and said that the APC will not participate in the elections and that the logo of the APC or any of the candidates of the APC will not appear on the ballot papers on election day and INEC has fully complied with this particular directive,” he said.

The INEC Commissioner said unless the Court reverses the judgment, there was nothing the electoral body could do to accommodate APC candidates in upcoming elections in the state.

Speaking further, Okoye also refuted rumours that INEC was planning to postpone elections in some states.

“If anything arises as we proceed towards the 2019 elections, we will deal with that particular eventuality.

“But as at today, the reality is that the APC will not participate in the elections, the elections will go on and it won’t be postponed.

“The PDP forwarded the name of a candidate to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the candidate of the political party. INEC accepted the name of that candidate. During the period of substitution, the candidate was not substituted, therefore, the candidate’s name will appear on the ballot on election day.

“The only basis for the removal of any candidate from the list as at today is death.

“We have released the final list for presidential and National Assembly elections and there wouldn’t be any change anymore,” he said.