Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has admitted that the party was severely pained by the decision of the Supreme Court to nullify the last governorship election won by the party in Bayelsa state.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the national chairman took a swipe at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, accusing the electoral body of arrogating the powers to interpret the laws to itself.
According to Comrade Oshiomhole, “the Supreme Court for good reason gave a conditional order that INEC should swear in the second candidate with the highest number of vote and the required constitutional spread.
“I believe that the fact the Supreme court insisted on constitutional spread is a recognition of the fact that the constitution does not want a situation in which anyone, governor or president presides over the affairs of a state without at least enjoy two third support of electorate of that state.
“Clearly, the votes scored by PDP and their candidate in that election was only meant requirement in five local governments and you need six local governments to meet the requirement of two third. PDP’s candidate did not satisfy this requirement.
“INEC is now choosing to appropriate the judicial powers of the court to interpret laws that is neither competent to do nor has the mandate to do so.
“INEC fails to recognize that its responsibility does not include legal interpretation and the Supreme Court did not ask INEC to go and begin to assume the judicial powers.
“All what INEC needed to do is simple arithmetic. Who has the next highest votes? Does such person have a required vote spread? If the answer is no, INEC can do no more. Now INEC has decided to assume that the case of Bayelsa is exactly the same case as that of Zamfara.
“We recognize that having purported to have sworn in or issued certificate of return to PDP candidate, we still believe that there are viable legal windows that we will explore. We affirm our confidence in the judiciary even with pains in our hearts.
“I wrote to INEC after the deliberation with the NWC that if it was the intention of Supreme Court to void the votes of APC
“We have consulted and resolved to reject in entirety the decision to issue certificate to the PDP candidate.
“We want to put the people of Nigeria on notice and of cause the people of Bayelsa that nobody can hide under the judicial cover to impose minority on the people, even INEC is in contempt of the court.”
INEC has earlier Friday issued Certificate of Return, CoR to PDP candidate after the Supreme Court had on Thursday voided the victory of APC governorship candidate, Mr. David Lyon.
David Lyon on November 16 last year won the Bayelsa State governorship election and a day to his swearing in (February 13) the Apex Court invalidated the victory on the case of forgery against his running mate.
Invalidating the election, the Supreme Court directed the Electoral Body to issue CoR to the governorship candidate in November 16 election who scored the second highest votes and the required spread in the election.
*Izu Emmanuel is The West African Pilot New’s Abuja Bureau Chief
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