APC Wants INEC To Postpone Osun Governorship Election Over Voters Card Issues
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has written a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone Osun State governorship election slated for August 9, 2014, if some voters would be restricted from exercising their franchise following the non-issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
The party made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on the ground that some of its members were being denied the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead the said election.
Related: APC Drags PDP To Court
The party told INEC to either allow all registered voters to vote with either PVCs or temporary voter cards or shift the poll for all outstanding PVCs to be distributed.
Tribune reports that the letter was written by Dr Muiz Banire, the party’s national legal adviser whom attached a compiled list of those allegedly denied the PVCs in each of the 30 local government areas of the state.
APC stated that the letter and the two cases in court over security deployment were some of the steps taken to make sure all the candidates get a level playground to ensure a free, fair, transparent election devoid of harassment and intimidation as against the case of Ekiti State polls, where the party lost to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
It noted that it had challenged in court the powers of the president to deploy troops to Osun State for the election and the power of the Inspector-General of Police to impose a curfew on any part of the state during the election while the letter to INEC followed concerns expressed by the APC members in Osun State that they had so far been denied their PVCs under shady circumstances, a development that could be a ploy to massively disenfranchise the APC members and rig the election from source.
"In the case filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on July 15, we are seeking, among others, a declaration that by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), it is ultra vires for the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to deploy members of the armed forces to Osun State for the purpose of the conduct of the governorship election scheduled for August 9," the statement read.
Related: Osun Governorship Election Can Never Be Like That Of Ekiti
The party insisted that Osun State governorship election must be free and fair, and also must be acknowledged by all stakeholders.
Source: Legit.ng
