INEC annuls National
Assembly elections in Anambra
By Celestine Okafor
Saturday, April 26, 2003
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
has annulled the electoral victories of Senatorial and House of
Representatives candidates of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in
Anambra State.
In a press release dated April 18, 2003 and
signed and issued on Wednesday by INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner,
Anambra State, Alhaji Hassan Suleiman, to the affected candidates, the
Commission notified the public and the affected PDP candidates of its
decision “to withdraw and invalidate the declaration of results sheet
carrying names of individual candidates rather than name of party”.
According to the Commission, the said
declaration of results sheets EC.8E for Senate and EC.8E(I) for the House
of Reps. have been “withdrawn, cancelled, invalidated and of no effect
whatsoever".
The release reads: “This cancellation and
invalidation is sequel to a pending court injunction served on the
commission by two separate courts of law. The Commission also wishes to
reiterate the sustenance of this cancellation and invalidation pending the
dispensation of the suits on PDP candidature of the courts. For the
avoidance of doubt, possession of the declaration of the results sheets
does not give nor confer the holders claim of any right of victory in the
recently concluded National Assembly elections in Anambra State”.
The implication of
the release by INEC is that the electoral victory of PDP candidates for
the National Assembly polls have been invalidated. Those affected,
however, in this annulment of the election are Nze Chidi Duru (former
House Committee Chairman on Privatization), who represents Aguata Federal
Constituency; Dozie Agbakoba (Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency);
Dr. C.C. Okeke (Idemili North/South); Osy Egwuatu (Awka North/South);
C.I.D. Maduabum (Nnewi North/South) and Ben Nwankwo (Orumba North/South).
For the Senatorial seats, Chief Ben Obi (Anambra
Central Senatorial Zone), Chief (Mrs) Joy Emordi (Anambra North) and C.N.
Ukachukwu (Anambra South Senatorial district) were affected.
There are, however, strong fears that the
affected PDP federal legislators-elect may be replaced “on orders from
above” by candidates who did not stand for the election.
Weekend Vanguard,
however, gathered, Wednesday, from INEC sources in Abuja that Chief Ben
Obi might be replaced with Ikechukwu Abana and Joy Emordi with Hon. Emma
Anosike while C.N. Ukachukwu Uba, brother of Anambra power broker, Eselu
Chris Uba. For the Reps-elect, Hon. Nze Chidi Duru may be replaced with Dr
Okey Enemuo, Dr. C.C. Okeke and Osy Egwuatu with Hon. Jerry Ugokwe and
Hon. Chudi Ofodile both of who were defeated at the PDP governorship
primaries. Also, Ben Nwankwo and Dozie Agbakoba might be changed with Nedu
Ugochukwu and Jossy Beluonwu.
