The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State has told the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Awka, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had no candidate in the Feb 23, this year’s election in the Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia Federal Constituency.
A senior official of the Commission, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, who was the Electoral Officer (EO) in charge of Njikoka Council, made the disclosure while giving evidence during the hearing of the petition by Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), who is challenging the declaration of PDP’s Valentine Anyika as winner of the election, instead of himself.
Ogbonna, who was INEC’s star witness, during a cross-examination by lead Counsel to Nwankwo, Dr. Kayode Fatoke (SAN), when presented with a documents marked Exhibit PF-3, which was the final list of candidates for the constituency poll, confirmed that it was the one INEC used for the said election.
He insisted that irrespective of any other documents being thrown around, Anyika’s name was not on any of the papers, saying in the column where name for the PDP candidate ought to appear, it was marked “Court Order, party yet to submit candidate.”
He said it was the list of names on Exhibit PF -3 that INEC used in the conduct of the said election and that up to the point of collation of results, PDP had no candidate.
Thereafter, INEC Counsel, Mr. E.E. Udeh, called off presentation of more witnesses, informing the tribunal that after two days of frantic efforts to get the remaining two witnesses, he had opted to close the case at that point.