APC, APGA fail to stop Enugu council polls

By SundiataPOST, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday failed to secure a court injunction to stop the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) from conducting council polls in the state due on Saturday.
In a motion filed before a High Court in ENugu, the party sought the suspension of the Nov. 2 council polls in the state following the disqualification of some its candidates from the elections.
The APC counsel, Mr Benjamin Nebe in his submissions urged the court to clarify the issue of eligibility of candidates to contest the elections.
Nebe also urged the court to seek judicial interpretations by the Court of Appeal of constitutional provisions regarding the eligibility to contest elections in the country.
“All the party is asking is for the court to clarify the issue of candidacy eligibility to contest in the elections,’’ he said.
Nebe said his candidates were all eligible to stand for the elections since the Nigeria constitution did not state that candidates should make payments for eligibility to contest elections.
He said that if his clients were asked to pay for a conference fees and they failed, it would have been understood.
The Counsel to ENSIEC, Mrs Amaka Madu, said that the disqualified candidates did not meet the requirements for contesting the elections.
According to her, many of the candidates submitted `fake’ tax clearance certificates for the elections.
The court, presided over by the state Chief Judge, Mr Justice Innocent Umezurike, however, adjourned the case till Nov. 5, 2013 for ruling.
In a similar development, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) also urged an Enugu High Court to suspend the local government elections in the state pending the determination of a suit filed before it.
The counsel to APGA, Mr Alex Amuzieogu prayed the court to stop ENSIEC from conducting elections in Isiuzo, Ezeagu LGAs and Ngwo Asaa ward in Udi Local Government Areas where the party fielded candidates.
Amuzieogu said the election should be suspended pending the determination of the suit filed before the court.
The counsel said the party’s chairmanship candidates in Ezeagu and Isiuzo as well as the councillorship candidate for Ngwo Asaa were disqualified by ENSIEC.
In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Mr Justice A.O. Onovo ordered ENSIEC, who was absent at today’s proceedings, to appear before the court on the next adjournment date, Nov. 7.
Fifteen APC and APGA candidates were disqualified by ENSIEC following their failure to meet the requirements for contesting the elections in the state.