APC withdraws from Anambra LG ballot, heads to court docket over irregularities

The All Progressives Congress in Anambra State has withdrawn from the upcoming native authorities elections, scheduled for twenty eighth September 2024, citing considerations over irregularities.

The celebration introduced this on Saturday, including that it had determined to take authorized motion, difficult the election course of in court docket.

In keeping with the celebration, the choice adopted alleged violations of due course of, which they consider undermines the credibility of the ballot.

The APC additional defined that collaborating within the LG election would quantity to “legalising illegality,” insisting that the structure of the Anambra State Unbiased Electoral Fee (ANSIEC) and the announcement of the election date didn’t comply with due course of as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2022.

The movement to boycott the election was moved by APC stakeholders, together with Donatus Emecheta, and seconded by Ikunwata Obadike, throughout the celebration’s stakeholders’ assembly held on the state headquarters in Awka on Saturday.

Addressing celebration members throughout the assembly, the State Chairman of the APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, famous that the APC, underneath his management, wouldn’t take part within the election as a result of ANSIEC and the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, weren’t ready to conduct the train in a free, truthful, and credible method.

Ejidike said, “How can a terrific celebration like APC be concerned in an election the place political events aren’t given sufficient time to conduct primaries to elect their candidates, no marketing campaign rallies, no promoting of types in accordance with the Electoral Act?”

He additionally claimed that Soludo had already arrange a tribunal on the Anambra State Excessive Courtroom in Awka for political events wishing to problem the election’s end result, suggesting that the governor was not transparently making ready to determine an accountable native authorities system.

“We’re already in court docket to problem the method as a result of the APC, being the key opposition celebration in Anambra State, should strive as a lot as attainable to steer by instance. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party have additionally gone to court docket to problem the irregularities, and we applaud them.”

Ejidike additional urged celebration members to stay centered, because the APC would quickly start a tour of the 21 native authorities areas in preparation for the 2025 governorship election within the state.

Additionally talking, the APC Authorized Adviser, Chukwunoso Chinweuba, mentioned the celebration had already filed a case within the Excessive Courtroom, difficult your complete native authorities election course of.

Chinweuba argued that the electoral course of had been compromised by irregularities, citing Part 23(1) of the ANSIEC Regulation 2024, which offers for a 30-day discover interval for the election, as inconsistent with Part 103(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires a 150-day discover interval.

A minute’s silence was noticed throughout the assembly in honour of the late Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.

It’s value noting that over 10 years have handed for the reason that final native authorities elections had been held in Anambra State, the latest happening in 2014.

Since then, all 21 native authorities areas within the state have been managed by caretaker transition committee chairmen appointed by the governor each three months.