ANSIEC to PDP: We Can't Take Orders from You
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (AN-SIEC) has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the commission cannot take directives from the party on election matters.
ANSIEC stated that as a statutory body created by the Constitution, it remains independent of any political party.
The commission was reacting to a letter by the Deputy National Secretary of the party, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, to the state Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, dated August 19, which directed the state to conduct local government elections not later than the ending of October 2004.
According to the commission, the conduct of the election must be in line with the list of candidates earlier authenticated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP and signed by the National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the National Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, in line with section 16 of the constitution of the party.
Reacting to this developments, ANSIEC in a letter to PDP National Chairman, Audu Ogbeh and signed by the Commission's chairman, Cornel Umeh, "Anambra Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) is an independent body created by law and statutorily empowered to organise and conduct local government elections in Anambra State."
"Giving the governor an ultimatum within which to conduct the council polls presupposes that the governor and by implication the PDP controls the commission. This is erroneous," he noted.
ANSIES said it has already began the processes that would culminate in the conduct of the council polls with two enlightenment seminars.
It was in this regard, the commission added that the guidelines for council elections in the state might be issued after the end of the seminars, which would come to an end by September 2.
ANSIEC advised Ogbeh to ensure that the state executive committee of the party was constituted immediately, to enable Anambra State PDP participate, "rather than fixing deadlines to the governor who neither controls nor directs the affairs of the commission."
Anambra State remains the only PDP state that is yet to conduct the local government elections.
Only in June 19, President Olusegun Obasanjo directed Minister of Finance, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo - Iweala, to withhold local government allocations to Jigawa and Anambra States, for not conducting the elections.
Jigawa State has since conducted the local government elections in the state on August 8.
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