• Commission faults claim, advises party to put house in order
Factional National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Edozie Njoku, at the weekend, asked Nigerians to hold the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, responsible for the crisis facing the party.
He said the INEC chair’s alleged habit of cheery-picking court judgments to obey has made it impossible for APGA to conclude its reforms, reconciliation, and rebranding.
Njoku, who addressed journalists in Lagos, lamented that nine months after the Supreme Court laid to rest the leadership dispute, Yakubu had reportedly refused to execute the court order.
Flanked by other leaders of the party, including founding National Chairman, Chekwas Okorie and Deputy National Chairman, Southeast, Freedom Okwuchukwu, Njoku said Yakubu’s alleged failure to undertake expeditious execution of the apex court ruling that affirmed him as authentic national chairman gives the impression that INEC does not operate with uniform standards.
But the spokesperson for the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, has faulted the claim, saying his boss has no interest in APGA crisis, which predated his ascension of office.
He told The Guardian that it is the wish of INEC that APGA should be in peace to feature candidates in e future elections.
According to him, “There are 18 parties in Nigeria and INEC has no special interest in all the parties.
APGA has been in crisis for as long as anybody could remember, and their leaders have been coming forward with several court judgments. They should remember that we have lawyers working with us. But let them go and put their house in order and stop blaming INEC for their internal crisis.”
