Embattled factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Friday, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise his candidate, Mr. Mathew Iduoriyekwemwen, as the party’s flag bearer in the upcoming September 10, Edo State governorship election.
In a letter submitted at the INEC’s office in Abuja, the former Borno State governor declared Iduoriyekwemwen as the “authentic” candidate of the party and not the candidate of the Sen Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who is the party’s candidate in the election.
A member of the House of Representatives representing Egor/Kpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, who submitted the letter on behalf of Sheriff, however, warned that the refusal to recognise Iduoriyekwemwen as the party’s candidate could lead to prolonged court case.
Speaking with reporters after he submitted the letter, the lawmaker, stated that INEC’s decision to publish the name of Ize-Iyamu was illegal.
According to Agbonayinma, “Today, I am challenging INEC to do the needful and be on the side of the law. We are not in a Kangaroo country. Nigeria is a great nation. Something good can come out of Nigeria.
“I have submitted a letter to the INEC chairman to, as soon as possible, with immediate effect, put Hon Iduoriyekwemwen as candidate of PDP for the Edo governorship election because the court order has been struck out.
“Today, Iduoriyekwemwen is the rightful candidate. So, there is nothing more to say about this than for INEC to be on the side of the law, obey the law of the land.
“There was a court order given recently by Justice Adeniyi of the FCT High Court. There was a case filed by Ize-Iyamu at the same court that has brought us to where we are now, but INEC decided to place Ize-Iyamu as candidate of PDP; which is the Makarfi group.
“It is also on record that the judgment given by Justice Abang said that in law, Makarfi does not exist, that Sheriff is the authentic chairman of PDP.”