The Allied Peoples Movement Party, APM, is seeking the cancellation of the Kogi State Governorship election held on November 16 for the exclusion of it’s party’s candidate, Yusuf Mamman Danielle, from the ballot.
The party, in a letter written to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and signed by Joseph Oluwarotimi Ojo, of Rotimi Ojo & Co, Solicitors and Advocates, dated November 20, is asking for the voiding of the already conducted election within three days of receipt of its letter and conduct a fresh election with the full inclusion of its Candidate.
According to the letter, the party would be seeking legal redress in the tribunal if INEC does not comply with it’s request, insisting that the exclusion has denied the candidate the adequate preparation to attend all activities before the election, canvas for votes, nominate and submit names of polling agents, an action that caused active and inputed exclusion of APM from the election.
The letter pointed out that following the treatment metted to the candidate, and in clear disobedience to the court orders to include the name of the candidate, the commission denied the candidate from participating in all activities leading to the election, little wonder that 01 votes was allocated to APM in some registration areas.
The letter insist that the inclusion of the name of the APM candidate and logo which was written in handwriting on the summary results sheets from registration areas and collation centres at the local government level was an after thought.
The letter observed too that the INEC failed to make provision for agents at polling units as required by law, demands the cancellation of the governordhip election and urged a rerun of the Kogi State Governorship election.
Recall that the INEC had before the governorship election disqualified the APM candidate and party for Fielding an underage deputy governorship candidate. The party according to the letter was said to have been denied the right for substitution even within the stipulated window period.
The party went ahead, sought redress at an Abuja Federal High Court, which delivered ruling in its favor on November 12th for its to be included on the ballot by INEC.