Action Alliance accuses INECof contempt of court

THE Action Alliance (AA) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately violating an order granted by an Abuja Federal High Court, which cautioned the electoral body against excluding the party and its candidates from participating in the on-going general elections.In a statement, the party revealed that the court bailiff duly served INEC with the court order, adding that it had previously warned that the elections would be null and void if it went ahead to conduct the polls.INEC tried to unlawfully exclude all Action Alliance candidates from all positions in the entire country. We went ahead and obtained an Abuja Federal High Court order against INEC, directing INEC to list our party and candidates. INEC has over 200 other cases with others in courts across Nigeria due to its lawlessness. The court bailiff duly served INEC with the court order and INEC went ahead to violate the order. This is a confirmation of our previous position in our earlier media briefing that INEC is lawless.INEC is lawless and the elections are unlawful because AA was excluded. INEC is biased, the Electoral Act has been grossly violated on many points, especially election finance limits. INEC is not independent. In addition, Prof. Pat Utomi has also called for a termination of the process. Dr. Tunji Braithwaite has restated that these elections will be the worst. The elections are a charade and a nullity by the lawlessness of INEC, the statement read in part.Meanwhile, angered by the turn of events, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Plateau State has petitioned INEC over substitution of the name of its candidates for Mikang/Shendam/Quaan Pan Federal Constituency with another by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner on the eve of the National Assembly election.The state Chairman of ACN, Amos Gizo, who disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists, said the person nominated and sponsored by the party was George Daika. He stated that the sudden change by INEC in the state through a press statement issued by the commission in Jos was a rude shock to the party and the affected candidate.According to him, the Commission substituted Daikas name with one Naomi Fanto, who never contested the primaries of the party and is unknown to the ACN in the state and Nigeria as a whole.When contacted, the Plateau State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Habu Zarma, told The Guardian that the conspiracy was orchestrated by powerful people in Abuja, adding that INEC did not substitute anybodys name.He should not shift the blame on us. He should go to Abuja INEC headquarters to lodge his complaints or if he is not satisfied with whatever explanation given, he should go to the court, Harma said.
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