Obiano's Disqualification Beyond Me, Says REC

The Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Chukwuemeka Onukogu, has said a recent report on the likely disqualification of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Chief Willie Obiano, in the November 16 election was beyond him, more so that he had no clue to the substance of the report.

This came as the leadership of APGA insisted the report was a ruse because there was no such thing as double registration in the status of its party’s candidate.

Fielding questions on the development, Onukogu washed his hands off "the rumour", and stressed that the matter was not only beyond him, but was not known to him at all.

Instead, Onukogu considered the report as an unnecessary distraction from the mounting pressure of planning a hitch-free, transparent and credible governorship poll for the state. He admitted to having received many phone calls from some of the stakeholders who sought clarifications on the matter.

On his part, the Director General of Obiano Campaign Organisation, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, insisted that there was no such situation as double registration on the part of Obiano.

Describing the APGA candidate as a very articulate and patriotic citizen, who would not do anything untoward, Uzodike said it was "a rumour being spread on the Internet by some political opponents from other parties that are jittery over the landslide victory Obiano would record against them."

He also used the opportunity to invite people to APGA’s campaign kick-off, which he predicted would be earth quaking.

Some reports did the rounds at the weekend, wherein Obiano was accused of double registration; one in Lagos where he lived before joining the Anambra governorship race and another in his native Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.
This, according to the report, contravened Sec 12(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which states that: "A Person shall not register in more than one registration centre or register more than once in the same registration centre,” while Section 12(3) states that "A person who contravenes the provision of subsection (2) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or imprisonment…"

The report went on to state that "Obiano should have applied to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Anambra State for his name to be entered on the transferred voter's list for his constituency in line with Section 13(1) of our Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

"A person, who before the election is resident in a constituency other than the one in which he was registered may apply to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the State where he is currently resident for his name to be entered on the transferred voters, list for the constituency.

Based on the above legal provisions, Willie Obiano, the APGA candidate stands disqualified by virtue of multiple registration.

Uzodike, however, noted that without conceding, in the event of any such situation, it would not be the duty of any politician other than a court of competent jurisdiction to pronounce anyone as guilty of double registration.