A few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the December 8 National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) illegal, the party yesterday cancelled the ward congresses held last Monday and shifted the National Convetion to January.
INEC had said the party failed to ensure due process in the arrangements for the convention.
THISDAY was informed late last night that the ward congresses will now hold on December 8, State Congresses on December 16, Zonal Congresses December 19 and National Convetion January 5 next year.
Also yesterday, INEC explained its involvement in the suit filed at the Supreme Court by PDP governorship candidate in last April 14 election in Anambra State, Dr. Andy Uba.
The process expected to lead to the December 8 National Convention of the PDP in Abuja had begun with the ward congresses of the party across the country last October 5.
But INEC had expected PDP to notify it before commencing any process leading to the election of new officers of the party.
As such, the commission ordered PDP to immediately discontinue the convention arrangements.
The commission said it had already notified PDP on its position in a letter dated November 7, 2007.
INEC�s National Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who spoke in Abuja at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) nationwide, said under the Electoral Act, 2005, PDP ought to have notified the electoral body.
�There is no need to waste their funds or time. It came to our notice that PDP is holding something that looks like ward congress. The new Electoral Act mandates us to nurture democracy. We don�t want to join issues with anybody; we just want to follow due process. Nobody is allowed to conduct primaries without consulting INEC or notifying us. Any such exercise should be cancelled,� Iwu said.
INEC also explained its involvement in the case filed by Andy Uba at the Supreme Court where he is praying the court for a review of its judgment, which ousted him from office as Governor of Anambra State.
Umeadi, who spoke on behalf of the commission, explained that since the commission was a party in the matter and had been served, it was incumbent upon it to appear before the court and defend itself.
The commission�s clarification came against the backdrop of criticisms in the media by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), condemning INEC for its involvement in the matter.
But briefing newsmen on the matter at the INEC Press Centre, Umeadi justified the commission�s position and explained that much of the criticisms directed against INEC were due to misrepresentation of facts.
He said: �As far as the issue of Peter Obi and Andy Uba is concerned, again it is part of the misrepresentation of certain existing facts. You will recall INEC did not go to court; Peter Obi was the one who sued INEC in a case that went up to the Supreme Court.
�Now, Andy Uba has sought a review, and has consequently served the parties in the matter, which also includes INEC.
�Now, as far as we are concerned, we did conduct elections in Anambra State. Considering the fact that we were complying with the provisions of law and if the parties go back to court and serve us, we are entitled to state why we did what we did.
�And that is essentially what we did. We didn�t jump into the case to join Andy Uba or Peter Obi for that matter. No, our position in the matter is simply to seek to justify what we did. We thought the matter had ended, but with the review, we again had to raise the issues which we raised earlier,� he said.
Nov92007