By Jennifer Omiloli
Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) has distanced itself from the the nullification of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State by the election tribunal vowing to contest the Judgment of the tribunal at the Court of Appeal as an interested party.
The state governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja had in a split judgment of two to one nullified the election and ordered the National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the state.
Two members of the tribunal in their majority judgment held that the INEC was wrong to have excluded the ANDP and it’s candidate from participating in the election.
Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has since lodged a 12 grounds of appeal asking the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal to set aside the majority judgment of the tribunal.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the party led by James Pere Femowei dissociated itself from the judgment saying the party did not file any petition challenging the outcome of the Bayelsa gubernatorial election held on November 16, 2019.
Speaking at a press conference at the weekend, the National Chairman of the party, Femowei together with the party’s national Secretary, Quadri-Adu Kehinde said both the ANDP Bayelsa State and National level did not sue INEC, the PDP nor governor Douye Diri.
He disclosed that the “purported Chairman of ANDP, Charles Ogboli who has been parading himself as the Chairman of the party had been expelled from the party since December 8, 2019.
“Reasons for this expulsion are well documented in a report submitted to the Election and Party Monitoring (EPM) unit of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on December 12, 2018.
“Therefore, Chief Charles Ogboli does not have the locus standing to sue on behalf of ANDP having been constitutionally expelled by a comfortable 2/3 majority of members of the National Executive Council of the party, guided by the party constitution and which action was known to INEC.
“Suffice to say that Chief Charles Ogboli did not contest his expulsion at that time and until date he has not done so.
“ANDP Bayelsa State did not present any candidate for the purpose of contesting November 16, 2019 governorship election, as it had earlier adopted Senator Douye Diri of the PDP.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) or state Exco did not attend any purported ANDP primary in Bayelsa before the election. How, where, when, which and how was the primary held without the involvement of the party organs in the state? Barrister Ogboli should thus produce the list of members who attended the primaries, or, INEC can equally produce the attendance list of the National Working Committee members and the state Exco who were present at the ANDP primaries.”
