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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn from Enugu East senatorial election, re-scheduled for March 11, following the expulsion of its candidate, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani.
The PDP, in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following Nnamani’s expulsion, said it no longer has a candidate for the election.
The letter dated February 22, and signed by the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, said since the former governor is no longer a member of the opposition party, he cannot longer contest the poll on its be platform.
The letter read: “Following the expulsion, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani ceases to be a member of the Party and also losses his nomination and sponsorship as candidate of the Party for Enugu East Senatorial District in the forthcoming general elections.
‘The party reiterates that it is not sponsoring any candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District in the 2023 General Elections.
‘While looking forward to your immediate compliance,please accept as always,the assurances of our highest regards.”
Regardless, Nnamani said he remains a candidate in the March 11 Enugu East senatorial poll, noting that his expulsion from the PDP is a ruse.
The former governor, in a statement, yesterday, stated that he was duly cleared by INEC to contest the poll, and nothing has warranted his withdrawal from the election.
Nnamani, who argued that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) cannot unilaterally remove him from the contest because his expulsion is already subject of litigation pending before the Federal High Court in suit No.FHC/ABJ/CS/163/2023, noted that he has written to the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, through his counsel, Rickey Tarfa ( SAN) on the issue.
The former governor in his letter to the INEC boss noted that “it is also important for the commission to note and be well guided that by the virtue of section 33 of the electoral Act , a political party cannot on its own arbitrarily remove or change its candidate whose name has been submitted and published by the commission for an election except in the event of death or withdrawal by the candidate.
“Section 33 of the electoral Act, 2022, which provides as follows: A political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted under section 29 of the electoral Act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidate, provided that in the case of such withdrawal or death of a candidate, the political party affected shall within 14 days of the occurrence of the event , hold a fresh primary election to produce and submit a fresh candidate to INEC for the election concern .
“Clearly , following the above provisions, the powers of a political party to solely remove or change its candidate following the submission and publication of his name by the commission is restricted only to instances of withdrawal or death of the candidate which is not applicable in the present circumstance.”
When contacted, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told Daily Sun that the laws were clear on the issue of sponsorship of candidates in elections.
He explained that when a political party withdraws his sponsorship of a candidate in an election, whatever votes that candidate scores, thereafter in that poll, would be wasted votes.
“You have to be a member of the party and you must have been sponsored by that party. And the sponsorship must start from a particular end to the end of the process. If in the course of that, the sponsorship is withdrawn, of course there is no sponsorship.”
