INEC slams APC ready to defend Ekiti poll at Tribunal

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THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday said it was not bothered that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had gone to the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State.

The electoral body said it was pleased with the action rather than prosecuting the Commission on the pages of newspapers.

Besides the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the APC action of challenging the outcome of the election as an ?exercise in futility.?

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai said the action taken by APC, is in line with the dictate of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

Pai, who spoke through the Commission?s Public Relations Officer, Taiwo Gbadegesin the Commission would do all within its power to assist the Tribunal in determining the matter.

Pai spoke while reacting to the petition filed by the Chairman of the APC in Ekiti, Chief Jide Awe,  on behalf of the party, seeking to invalidate the victory of Mr Ayodele Fayose and candidate of the PDP in the election.

Explaining the grounds of the petition, Awe said that it centred majorly on alleged manipulation, undue militarisation, impeachment as well as EFCC cases hanging on the governor-elect, claiming  that Fayose was not qualified in the first place to participate in the election.

Pai  said  the Commission is ready to defend all actions taken prior and during the election, maintaining that Fayose won the

 

election gallantly.

He said, ?The candidate declared by INEC, Mr Ayodele Fayose won the election gallantly having fulfilled all the laid down provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended during the election.

? Any aggrieved Party or candidate who wishes to challenge the outcome is equally free to do so within the ambit of the same enabling instrument.

?Election and Petition are collocational and we are always  on alert after every election to receive such because no matter the effort and resources you put to electoral process, we have not developed to the level of accepting defeat without litigation.

?We are prepared  for them and after we are served, we will have to perfect our papers and get ready to defend our action in Court?.

The INEC Chief , however, said the Commission is not in any way rattled , saying  his men and officers did not perpetrate any rigging during the election.

?We are even happy that they are in Court rather than to be trying us on the pages of Newspapers. What they are doing is not against the law.

?And I want to say again that we are going to give them all  they need to help their case because we have nothing to hide. But we are waiting for them to confirm to us that we have been joined?.