By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has expressed its resolve to comply with Wednesday’s appellate court decision ordering it to substitute an Ondo state governorship candidate, Jimoh Ibrahim with another, Eyitayo Jegede.

The commission also said it would not shift the date of the election.

INEC had earlier published Jegede’s details as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP but was later forced by an Abuja Federal High Court which ordered it to publish Ibrahim’s name as the party’s candidate.

While Ibrahim belong to the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP, Jegede belongs to the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the party.

However, in a text message responding to Vanguard’s enquiries, the commission’s Director in charge of Voter Education, Publicity, Civil Society and Gender Liaison, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzi said the decision of the appeal court is in line with INEC’s earlier stance as to the authentic candidate of the party.

“Of course, we will comply. This is in consonance with our earlier stand as to the rightful PDP candidate. So, (it) did not come to INEC as a surprise. No shift in the election”, he said.

The Makarfi-led faction of the PDP as well as a coalition of 16 political parties had called for the postponement of the polls citing the crisis in the PDP.

Vanguard checks revealed that while the electoral act provides that the name of candidates must be displayed in their constituencies within seven days before the election, Section 44. (1) however states that; “Each political party may by notice in writing addressed to the Electoral Polling Agents Officer of the Local Government or Area Council, appoint a person to attend at each polling unit and collation centre in the Local Government or Area Council for which it has candidate and the notice shall set out the name and address of the polling agent and be given to the Electoral Officer at least 7 days before the date fixed for the election”.

Do not shift the polls, CNPP tells INEC

Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has asked the electoral. Umpire to go ahead with the elections.
CNPP said in a statement by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Olawale Okunniyi said, “after a careful analysis of the political temperature of Ondo State (it) has come to (the) inevitable conclusion that the gubernatorial election scheduled for Saturday should go ahead as planned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“It is our considered opinion that the material conditions upon which the postponement of elections could be predicated does not substantially exist in the Ondo case; therefore INEC should go ahead and conduct the gubernatorial election as scheduled”.