By Saviour Jimoh-Alabi
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Edo State, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, has disclosed that officials of the Commission in the state monitored the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held at the Lushville Hotel and Suites, which produced Sen. Monday Okpebholo.
Speaking to newsmen on Monday in Benin City, Onuoha disclosed that officials of INEC only monitored the APC primary election that the commission was invited to at the Lushville Hotel and Suites.
It will be recall that two parallel primaries were conducted by the party, with Hon. Dennis Idahosa emerging winner of the result announced by the governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma, at Protea Hotel, while Senator Monday Okpepholo, emerged winner of the result collated by the returning officer of the election, Stanley Ugbuaja, at Lushville Hotel and Suites.
The INEC’s REC, stated that party primaries are exclusively party matters, noting that “The Supreme Court has taken decision on the monitoring of party primaries, that party primaries are primary duties of the parties.
“Our own is to supervise and in doing such supervision, the party will tell us the venue. It is not the state chapter of the party that will tell us the venue.
“The national body will write to INEC national chairman of the venue, and the date and the time of the primary, and that we have followed strictly.
“Any political party primaries that was not minuted to us by our headquarters, we will not monitor.
“We were notified by APC and we monitored the one we were invited to at Lushville Hotel. I was there, that was where I went,” he said.
He however frowned at all the aspirants in the the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election for engaging in campaigns activities while the Commission was yet to lift ban on campaign and called on the aspirants to remove all their campaign billboards or face sanctions.
He also berated media organizations who carry such campaigns, even as he threatened to report them to relevant regulatory agencies for necessary sanctions.
About Author
