NRM prays court to disqualify Ize-Iyamu as Edo APC guber candidate

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been asked to disqualify Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the Sept. 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo.

The suit which was instituted by the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and its candidate for the forthcoming Edo governorship, Stevie Ozono, named Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress, Osagie Ize–Iyamu and Gani Audu as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.

The plaintiffs averred that by virtue of Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sections 31 and 153 of the Electoral Act and the Guidelines for the submission of candidates of political parties issued by INEC, it is only the political party’s National Chairman and the National Secretary who sign a letter forwarding names of the party’s candidate to INEC.

They averred that it was Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and John Akpan Udoedeghe, the National Chairman of the Caretaker/Extra–Ordinary Convention Committee and the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extra – Ordinary Convention Committee who signed the letter conveying the names of Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Gani Audu to the INEC as the APC governorship candidate and running mate respectively for the forthcoming Edo state governorship election.

The Movement and Ozono asked the court to determine whether after due consultation of Sections 183, 222a and 223 of the 1999 Constitution INEC can lawfully deem that the list of candidates of the APC for the Edo State gubernatorial elections to be held on Sept. 19, 2020 has been submitted to it by virtue of the letter dated June 29, signed by Udoedeghe and Buni.

They asked the court to declare that APC has no candidates for the Edo State gubernatorial elections to be held on Sept. 19, by virtue of the non – submission of her list of candidates before the deadline on June 29.

They also urged the court to make an Order voiding the decision of INEC to include APC, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Gani Audu as candidates in the gubernatorial elections pertaining to Edo to be held on Sept. 19, 2020.

The plaintiffs attached a 30-paragraph of affidavit deposed to by Chinedu Obi, the National Publicity Secretary of the National Rescue Movement, to their suit.

The case has been assigned to Justice A.R. Muhammed.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.