Activities at the National Electoral Commission (INEC) were temporarily disrupted yesterday by protesters demanding their certificates of return. They also went to the European Union’s Office in Abuja to submit a letter of protest. The placard-carrying protesters, under the umbrella of “Committee of Anambra State PDP House of Representatives members-elect,” arrived at the commission’s headquarters at 8.30 am chanting: “ INEC, justice is what we want”.
They were stopped at the commission’s entrance by security men on duty. The protesters demanded justice following the Supreme Court judgment on the authentic PDP candidates for the state. Some inscriptions on the placards read: “INEC obey Federal High Court and Supreme court ruling”; INEC do the right thing, give us certificate of returns”; Prof Mahmood Yakubu fear God; Supreme Court verdict is final; INEC; INEC, the world is watching.
The aggrieved protesters included candidates of the party removed prior to the elections on account of the Appeal Court judgment, which was set aside by the Supreme Court. INEC’s Director of Security Mr. Shettima Ngilladar received the protesters, led by Anthony Offiah, who said they were candidates of the authentic PDP in the state, whose primaries were supervised by the commission. Offiah said: “We are beneficiaries of the High Court judgment, which has now been affirmed by the Supreme Court.”
He said: “The reason we are here is that you standing in front of us get to here why we are here. We are responsible citizens and captains of industry. The Supreme Court gave a judgment in our favour, for over 60 days, that judgment has not been obeyed. INEC for the first time in the history of the commission went for interpretation, which shows bias. We objected that the supermen court does not have the jurisdiction because the judgment was so clear and unambiguous and so struct out the matter and since that day, we have been writing the INEC chairman severally, we have the copy. All we are asking is that this bias against us should stop. INEC chairman is biased against us. What we are hawking for is our certificate of returns.
“Last week Wednesday. we followed up on our numerous letters to INEC chairman, we came here from 8am and stayed till 8pm, he refused to see us. It will ice to tell you that we write formally and we have acknowledgement of our letters to see him. On Thursday again, we returned 8am and at 8pm he hasn’t seen us. He only saw us because we met him on his way out and he spoke to us at he staircase. “Offiah wondered how the commission could be so swift in obeying the Appeal Court’s ruling on the same issue, but hesitating on the Supreme Court judgment, which favoured them.
He maintained that the commission did not seek clarification before obeying the Appeal Court, asking why was it necessary to do so in the case of the Supreme Court judgment? However, Ngilladar assured the protesters that their case would be looked into. “If there is anything that has gone wrong and you have come to the commission to protest, it will be resolved. Now that you have submitted a formal protest we will look at it.
On the request to be addressed by the INEC boss or a national commissioner , the director said: “It has never happened that the chief executive has to come to speak to you. We are here to ensure that the issue is resolved.’’ The protesters later took their case to the EU where they submitted a letter of protest. They argued that EU was a partner of the commission, and hence the need for the regional body to know what was happening.
