NASS Bye-election: “Sylva not Judiciary should be blamed for Court disqualification of APC candidate”-APC Chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Hon. Sunday Frank-Oputu has absolved the Judiciary of any blame over the Monday rulling disqualifying the candidate of the Party, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi from the forthcoming West Senatorial bye-election over faulty primaries in the state.

According to Frank-Oputu, instead of the party faithful to cast aspersions on the credibility of the judiciary over its decision, the party should speak up against acts of impunity and imposition of candidates by the party leaders led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.

Hon. Sunday Frank-Oputu, who is a chieftain of the APC from Southern Ijaw Local Government area of the state, said the ruling of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Jane Nyang has vindicated the dissenting voices of the party who kicked against the adoption of direct primaries and the eventual imposition of the parties candidate for the senatorial bye-election.

According to him, the ruling of the judiciary is commendable and it shows that some judges are standing firm to uphold the sanctity of the nation’s democratic values,” I want to thank God that the dissenting voices of the APC have been heard and the rule of law has taken its full course.”

“I want to also congratulate the judge for doing the needful. It is not about clapping hands and praising a leader. It is about telling a leader the truth about how things are supposed to be done. I earlier raised alarm about how Sylva had handled the affairs of the party and that the party will always fall victim of the law.”

“And if anybody could remember the last Governorship primary, that why we are where we are today as a party. Today, we are also having the same experience as that of the last Governorship primaries. When the Senatorial bye-election primaries was to be conducted, I raised the alarm that the party should go the way of indirect mode of primary. And that if we want to do the right thing and for the people to see us as a party, we must conduct indirect primaries. But alas, they shot us in the leg again with shoddy primaries.”

“It is not always we do direct primaries. Every Nigerians knows what it will take for INEC to supervise such elections in our terrain. And for a political party with a leader claiming to mobilise everyone to every wards to do indicted primaries, it is massive and will fail. So, there are still people of good conscience? I think the reasoning of the judge was outstanding. And I commend the judge of the Federal High Court. The ruling will save the APC from further imposition of candidates”.

Frank-Oputu also noted that with his years of political experience as Chairman of a Political Parties in the State, the absence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the 105 wards of party primaries due to the poor terrain of the state invalidate any conduct done with parochial tendencies.

He pointed out that instead of jumping the gun, the leadership of the APC should have notified the INEC on the conduct of the Party primaries 48 hours ahead,” As a party, a notification letter should have been sent to the INEC and an acknowledgement letter received on the invitation. If INEC fails to come, it is no longer your issue. You have a defence that they were properly notified as provided in the electoral Act. If the party fail to inform INEC, it is not the fault of the INEC, the Judiciary nor the opposition party that capitalized on the flaws. The electoral Act makes it compulsory.”