INEC To Allow Atiku Abubakar To Contest At Court's Behest
Presidential candidate of Action Congress (AC), Vice President Atiku Abubakar, will be allowed to contest the April polls only if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is ordered by a competent court to do so.Briefing newsmen at the Commission, the new Chairman of INEC’s Information and Publicity Committee (IPC), Barrister Philip Umeadi Jnr said the Commission could only act at the court’s behest. Said he: “If we receive a court order, we’ll give effect to it. If we get an order compelling us to allow the VP (Vice President) to contest, we will do it”.Barrister Umeadi Jnr blamed politicians for needlessly overheating the system only to turn round to blame the Commission. He said that before now, INEC had set timelines for its activities, including the nomination of candidates and verification of their claims. He regretted that instead of these politicians to abide by these deadlines, many preferred not to abide by them only to stridently complain or threaten the Commission.The IPC Chairman said only politicians who duly went to court and secured court orders or have sufficient reasons in law to back up their lateness will be entertained for substitution by the Commission.On the voter’s list which reporters alleged were not adequately displayed, Barrister Umeadi Jnr said that not only was the voter’s list displayed for five days nation-wide, all the political parties were given the list in CD ROMs. He regretted that those published by INEC were either torn or mutilated by members of the public.Barrister Umeadi Jnr drew the attention of the media to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2006 which empowers INEC to prosecute those who perpetrate violence during the elections. He said that theCommissionwas determined to give effect to its slogan of zero tolerance to violence.
