No fraud in Lagos gov primary, PDP replies Obanikoro The Peoples Democratic Party has responded to the allegations of fraud by a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, in his suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the conduct and the outcome of the party’s governorship primary in Lagos State. The PDP denied Obanikoro’s allegations in a counter-affidavit it filed in opposition to Obanikoro’s application for an interim injunction seeking to restrain the PDP from submitting any name as its governorship candidate in the state to the Independent National Electoral Commission. Both the PDP and INEC are the defendants. INEC was not represented in court when the matter came up for hearing before Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Tuesday. The party, through its counsel, Paul Ananaba, had also filed a separate preliminary objection in opposition to the suit with which Obanikoro is seeking the nullification of the primary on the grounds of alleged irregularities. The party insisted that there was no over-voting as the earlier announcement of 806 as the accredited voters was a tabulation error. PDP Youth Leader in Lagos State, Samuel Ladeinde, stated in the supporting affidavit, “At the conclusion of voting, a total of 864 ballot papers were issued to accredited delegates. In the Electoral Committee Chairman’s (Senator Saidi Kumo’s) opening remarks, he mentioned that 806 delegates were accredited. “But this initial remark was a tabulation error, which occurred by the omission to tabulate the following list of delegates even though they had been duly accredited for the exercise. “Ikeja ad hoc delegates – 30; Ikeja automatic delegates – 7; Ojo automatic delegates – 6; Mushin automatic delegates -8; Alimosho automatic delegates – 7, and the total is 58. “The agents and aspirants were clearly informed at the electoral desk of this tabulation omission, which they accepted without opposition before the counting votes cast commenced. “During the voting, the agents of the aspirants had verified each delegate before the delegate was given a ballot paper to vote, thus ensuring that only duly accredited delegates voted and each such delegate received only on ballot paper.” Obanikoro had, in his suit filed on December 15, 2014, asked Justice Ahmed Mohammed to nullify the primary on the grounds that it was marred with irregularities, including over-voting, disruption of the exercise by armed thugs, improper accreditation of voters. He also accused a leader of the party in the state, Chief Olabode George, and the winner of the December 8 primary, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, of recruiting armed thugs to manipulate the exercise. ift.tt/16NXEfg ift.tt/1qGUBZv [[Boost your social presence with NAIRALIKES nairalikes ]] #nigeria x #nairalikes #vanguardng
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 20:26:39 +0000
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