By Mike ALADENIKA
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Imo North Senatorial bye-election without fielding a clear candidate, an action which many say may be intended to stress INEC'S believe in the
superiority of political party platforms to the candidates who run on them.
The APC had gone into the contest without a clear candidate, in the eye of the law, between Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Mr Frank Ibeziem who were both claiming to have been the choice candidate of the party.
Until Friday morning before the Court of Appeal, Owerri, delivered its judgment validating the candidature of Ibeziem, Araraume was the candidate on the basis of a verdict by a lower Court on the matter of the valid candidate of the party.
Incidentally, on that same Friday, shortly after the Court of Appeal verdict, a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Ekwo Inyang, disqualified Ibeziem on the grounds of presenting forged certificates which qualified him in error for participation in the election.
Both judgments were delivered on the eve of the bye-election, thus presenting a situation in which the APC went into the election without a clear candidate. Subsequently, further legal actions in the courts will finally resolve the candidacy of the party for the Election.
Meanwhile, the Returning Officer (E.R.O.) for the election, Hakeem Adikum declared the APC as the winner of the election on Sunday at the INEC office located along Port Harcourt road in Owerri.
Adikum, however, did not mention the name of the candidate of APC that won the election but only said the APC won by receiving 36,811 votes while the PDP candidate, Emmanuel Okewulonu, had 31, 903 votes.
While the results showed that APC won five local government areas out of six, including Ehime Mbano, Onuimo, Ihitte Uboama, Isiala, Mbano, the PDP won only in Obowo local government area.
On why a candidate was not announced, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Francis Ezeonu, said based on “Several court orders for and against Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibeziem both who are laying claim to the APC candidature.”
The INEC, accordingly, would study all the orders to see which one is the latest that has the preeminent locus to supercede the others in the circumstances pending the intercession of the final court in the matter.
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