INEC rejects PDP primary for Ekiti North Reps seat The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected the House of Representatives’ primaries conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti North Federal Constituency II. The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Alhaji Halilu Pai, said the commission would not recognise the primary because it did not conform with the extant regulations. Report had come in on Sunday that Chief Thaddeus Aina won the primaries defeating other aspirants. But, Pai, who spoke through the Commission’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Taiwo Gbadegesin, on Monday said there was no evidence that the primary took place as the commission did not witness it. He said, “The PDP claimed that there was primary in the place, but to us in INEC, we believed there was no primary. “This Commission cannot recognise primaries conducted in the middle of the night as election, because reports by our electoral officers indicated that the primary did not begin even as at 8.30pm in the night. So, when was the election conducted? “We owe it a duty to say the truth now to prevent future backlash. It is the responsibility of this commission to ensure that things are done rightly and on that we stand,” he stated. Meanwhile, the Al Progressives Congress held its senatorial primaries across the three senatorial districts on Monday. The atmosphere was charged in Ekiti North Senatorial District in Ifaki-Ekiti where the incumbent, Olubunmi Adetumbi, contested with Mr. Olusegun Osinkolu and a former Chairman, Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission under ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, Mr. Ranti Adebisi. To forestall breakdown of law and order, the Commissioner of Police, Mr.Taiwo Lakanu, deployed large number of riot policemen in the venues. The results of the primaries were still being expected as of press time. Meanwhile, all the serving members of the House of Representatives of the APC were returned in the primaries held across the state on Sunday except in Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1 where Mrs. Eniola Ajayi emerged winner. The constituency is currently being represented by Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, who has defected from the APC to Labour Party.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 18:59:28 +0000
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