Rivers: Hope Lost For APC As INEC Releases Final List Of Eligible Candidates

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed to make the final list for Rivers state governorship and house of assembly candidates released on Thursday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC released names of all candidates eligible to participate in the coming elections in the state, but candidates of the APC were consciously missing.

A similar development had played out in Zamfara state today where the electoral commission maintained its earlier position that the APC was ineligible to field candidates in the coming elections.

While candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Labour Party among others made INEC’s final list in both states, those of the APC were missing in the published list.

The issues the ruling party is having in both states borders on unresolved court cases.

In Rivers State, the electoral body barred candidates of the APC over conflicting court judgments resulting from two factions of the party instituting lawsuits against governorship or house of assembly candidates of either faction.

A Federal High court in Port Harcourt, had nullified the direct and indirect primaries conducted by the two factions of the APC in Rivers.

Justice Kolawole Omotosho ruled that the two primaries were illegally conducted, leading to the court restraining INEC from recognising Tonye Cole and Magnus Abe as governorship candidates of the party.

Both Senator Abe and Mr cole had emerged respective winners in the direct and indirect primary elections conducted by the two factions of the party in Rivers.

In Zamfara, INEC said it barred APC from fielding candidates in the state because the party did not conduct primary elections.

“The Commission would like to reaffirm its commitment to obeying all court judgements even when it disagrees with them.

“However, these are clearly two contradictory judgements delivered by two courts of coordinate jurisdiction on the same day.

“Consequently, the Commission has decided to maintain its original position that the party in question did not conduct primaries and therefore, in line with Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), is not eligible to field candidates for the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State,” said INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye.