Why Isiaka can’t be PPN candidate –Olurin

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Chief Adetunji Olurin, on Friday defended the decision of the party to institute a legal action over the emergence of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka, on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s list of candidates for the forthcoming polls. Isiaka, who dumped the PDP following the crisis arising from the party’s primaries conducted in Ogun State, is listed as a substituted candidate on INEC’s list. But Olurin, while speaking on the decision of the PDP to challenge Isiaka’s inclusion, described the action as contravening the nation’s electoral law. The PDP governorship candidate, in an interview with our correspondent through his Media Consultant, Mr. Dele Agekameh, justified the decision to institute the case in Abuja instead of Abeokuta as mentioned by the PPN. He said, “The case was taken to Abuja because it was a case between the PDP and INEC, which is a federal body. It is not a case of PDP versus PPN in Ogun State. The PDP is pursuing a legal case; an illegality has been conducted and either the PDP or any individual or group can point it out. “The issue is no one should be deceived that Isiaka or any candidate put forward can contest the next election. He cannot transform to be a candidate overnight. “Electoral Act No. 6 of August 20, 2010 as amended by the Electoral Act No. 10 of December 29, 2010 is explicit on the issue of nomination or sponsorship of a candidate for an election by any political party. “Section 31 sub-section 1 of the Electoral Act as amended provides that every political party shall not later than 60 days before the date appointed for the general elections, under the provision of this act, submit to the commission on the prescribed forms the list of candidates the parties propose to sponsor at the elections provided that the commission shall not reject or disqualify candidate(s) for any reason whatsoever.” Olurin argued that the implication was that the name of the candidate must have been submitted by the PPN at the time Isiaka was in court challenging the PDP candidacy. He stated that the rationale behind it was that Isiaka could not have been contesting the candidacy of the PDP while his name was already submitted by the PPN. He said, “It will logically rob him of the locus standi to vie for the PDP ticket. There is no doubt under the Electoral Act (as amended), a party can substitute its candidate in the event of death or the withdrawal of the candidate earlier submitted. “Section 33 provides that a political party cannot be allowed to change or substitute its candidate, whose name has been submitted pursuant to section 31 of this act, except in the case of death or withdrawal by the candidates. “In this particular instance, the death of the governorship candidate of the PPN was never announced nor made public in anyway; up till date, INEC has not proclaimed such incident. By Francis Falola, Abeokuta Courtesy Of; Punch