ENUGU-THE controversy over the eligibility of Mr. Bonaventure Onuh to contest the December 10 local government chairmanship election for Igboeze North council on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been laid to rest as the party declared Sunday that the candidate could not be disqualified on account of alleged kidnap charges filed against him in court.

State chairman of the party, Engr. Vita Abba, told Vanguard in an interview that it would be wrong to substitute the candidate when he had not been convicted by any court or a commission of inquiry.

He explained that the party was relying on the legal provision that any person standing trial before any court of law for any offence should be presumed innocent until the court proved otherwise.

He said: “The law guiding the conduct of primaries and the local government elections is clear on the qualification of candidates. It is a law enacted by the Enugu State House of Assembly which is relevant in what we are doing.”