APGA faults call for cancellation of NASS polls

By DAPO AKINREFON

ABUJA – ANAMBRA State chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has dismissed calls by the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, that the Huose of Representatives elections be cancelled over the non-inclusion of the party’s logos in the ballot papers.

The dismissal was contained in a petition APGA made to chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega at the weekend.

APGA, in the petition, stated that only a competent court of law was in a rightful position to cancel an election already held.

In its petition titled “Prof. Jega, this injustice cannot stand: Quest for justice in Ogbaru Federal Constituency”, APGA explained that “on Saturday, April 9, 2011 when National Assembly elections held across Nigeria, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its candidate for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, Victor  Ogene were coasting to victory during collation of results, before attempts at manipulating the figures from one ward (Ogwu-Ikpele) made the electoral officials to term the overall outcome ‘inconclusive,’ ordering a re-run in the said ward on the premise that its number of registered voters was more than the APGA lead.

With votes from the other 15 wards in the constituency, APGA led by 9,757 votes to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 8,048 votes.”

The party faulted the decision by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Professor E.C. Onukaogu to annul the entire election saying that the CPC in the state had already stated its stance that it did not field any candidate for such position.