A member of Kogi House of Assembly representing Ofu State Constituency, Dr. Ali-Friday Adoyi has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was excluded from participating in the state February 20 House of Assembly rerun election.
Alih, a witness who won his election into the house under the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) told the state National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Comrade Salifu-Isah Idachaba of the APC had dragged INEC and Alih before the election tribunal that his exclusion by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was illegal.
Idachaba is asking the tribunal to nullify Alih’s election on the ground that he (Idachaba) was unlawfully and illegally excluded.
Alih, told the tribunal while been cross-examine by the petitioner counsel, Mr Shuaibu Aruwa that a Court of Appeal Judgment delivered on Dec. 16, 2015 had already prevented the APC from participating in the rerun election.
The witness also told the tribunal that the INEC did not call for re-submission of fresh nomination form after the March 2015 state House of Assembly Election had been cancelled on the ground that the APC did not conducted Proper and valid primary before the election.
“I saw the public notice from INEC restraining the APC from participating from the rerun; I saw the document before the rerun election.
“The petitioner name was also not on the result sheet when the result was released”, Alih said. So, it’s on this ground that the counsel to Dr Alih urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit.
The petitioner also pleaded with the tribunal to consider all the issues for determination in his petition and order for a fresh election in Ofu State Constituency of Kogi.
Justice Nasiru Gumi led tribunal chairman adjourned this petition to Nov. 16 for continuation of defence.
– NAN
