The Appeal Court sitting in Yola on Wednesday dismissed the appeal by delegates of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, seeking the court to declare all candidates in the last election illegal and order a fresh primary election.
The decision was, however, rejected by over 400 delegates elected from 168 electoral wards in the state who said the ruling was highly tainted.
In a statement by the state chapter of the party and a delegate from Gassol local government area, Bala Ahmed, the aggrieved delegates said the judgment failed consider delegates’ rights to lawfully elects candidates that will represent its party in an election.
Ahmed said it’s disturbing that the appeal was not allowed based on its merit but was struck out based on technical ground, saying the delegates will seek justice at the country’s Apex Court.
According to Ahmed, the party’s members in the state were clearly and brazenly denied their right to elect candidates of their choice for the 2015 general election, adding that several elections have been nullified based on irregular conduct of primary election by the opposition party and other pre-election matters.
He said, “They were several allegations that the state governor moved several millions to Yola, we are now forced to believe that the judgment was bought over with money, money that should be used to pay workers salaries are now spent by Taraba Government to sustain their illegality against PDP delegates and members.”
Ahmed maintained that if primaries were held without the knowledge of relevant authorities and lawful delegates, such should appropriately be declared unconstitutional, null and void.
“The ruling of the Election Tribunal is very explicit and unambiguous; there was no PDP primaries in Taraba, simple, We were denied our voting rights to choose a candidate for our party, we strongly believed that the Supreme Court will restore these rights.”
He further disclosed that, “the delegates will seek redress at the Supreme Court because nothing can supersede the rights of party members through their elected delegates to elect their candidates for an election.”
Culled : Naija247news
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