BY EBERE EKECHI
A political scientist, Mr.Chuks Ibegbulam, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, acted rightly by declaring the All Progressive Congress, APC, as winner of Imo North Senatorial Election.
Speaking to INNONEWS in Owerri, Ibegbulam said INEC is in order to declare the political party with the highest number of votes winner of the election.
INEC had on Sunday declared the APC as winner of the Imo North Senatorial election without returning a candidate.
Ibegbulam said “Votes are cast for political parties and not for individuals during elections. Individuals or rather candidates are mere figure heads of political parties during elections.
“If the APC scored the highest number of votes in Imo North Senatorial Election, then INEC is right to say the party won.The Electoral Commission could not have declared Frank Ibezim or Senator Araraume as candidate (s) of the APC who won the election, because both of them are temporarily encumbered by Court judgements not to be proclaimed winner of the election.
He continued “INEC could not have ignored the judgements of the Court of Appeal, Owerri and Federal High Court, Abuja, which clearly altered the candidacy of Ibezim and Araraume temporarily.
“The orders of the court are bound to be obeyed by INEC. And I do not agree that the APC presented no candidate for Okigwe senate bye election.
“It is left for the Courts to decide who is the rightful candidate of the APC, between Ibezim and Arararume, and who among them, should claim the votes the APC garnered during the election. Once the court is clear on this, a Certificate of Return can be issued to any of them.
“The Court has the power to decide which candidate won an election, and also do have the power to decide the candidate of a political party especially when there is rancour over who is an authentic candidate of that political party.
“It happened at the Supreme Court last year, when the apex court said Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC, and not Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP, was the rightful winner of the 2019 governorship election. The Courts have the power to determine a candidate of a party and winner of an election.
Reacting to claims by the PDP that it’s candidate, Emmanuel Okewulonu, should be declared winner of Imo North Senatorial election on the grounds that the APC had no candidate at the election, Ibegbulam said “such claims are lame duck on the grounds that the votes of the PDP are not more than of the APC at the election.
“On what basis? On what grounds should INEC do that? The PDP candidate is not challenging the outcome of the election on the basis that his votes were excluded. So, how do you expect INEC to announce him the winner of the election when the votes of his political party is less to that of the APC” he said.
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