By NewsCritic Reporters
Chairman of Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa has said that the commission will not flout any legitimate Order of the court as it relates to the conduct of the 2016 Local Government Election in Isiala-Ngwa South LGA.
Speaking in an interview with The NewsCritic in his office, Prof Mkpa, who spoke through the ABSIEC Commissioner/Secretary, Barr Tony Mgbarine, maintained that there was no specific Order to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairmanship candidate Mr Goddy Isikaku in the election.
Prof Mkpa went further to state that whatever Order the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and its chairmanship candidate Hon. Christian Ikechukwu Okeri secured from the court, that “the ABSIEC has the right to challenge the Order based on our own position”.
He added that until he sees the judgement “I will not be able to talk more”.
The NewsCritic reports that the APGA Chairmanship candidate in the 2016 election for Isiala-Ngwa South LGA, Hon. Christian Ikechukwu Okeri, had petitioned the Abia State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal after ABSIEC declared the PDP candidate, Goddy Isikaku winner of the election.
In its judgement, the Tribunal nullified the Chairmanship election in the LGA and ordered for a fresh election in which the APGA candidate was the sole candidate. The judgement which was delivered on 13th October, 2017 also ordered the PDP candidate Isikaku to vacate office.
On appeal by the PDP candidate, the appellant court dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the Tribunal. The court also awarded N100,000 cost against the PDP candidate in favour of the APGA candidate.
However, according to the APGA candidate in the election, Hon Okeri, the ABSIEC has flagrantly refused to obey the Order, and wondered how the ABSIEC would be planning to conduct a fresh election in Isialangwa-South when it is yet to settle the outstanding matter arising from the 2016 poll.
He said that he will not surrender his mandate until the Abia State government and ABSIEC do the needful by swearing him in as the executive Chairman of Isiala-Ngwa South LGA.