*Says Ebonyi FHC Recently Frowned On Such Practice As Illegal

A Human Rights Activist and Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Odinkalu has voiced out against the recent practice by political parties swapping their elected candidates for various office with others who lost out in other primaries.

Recently, some Governors and Ministers who lost at their party’s Presidential primaries have gone on to replace elected candidates either for the gubernatorial elections or senatorial elections in their state.

For example, after losing the PDP’s Presidential primary, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state went on to substitute the party’s elected gubernatorial candidate, Kashim Ibrahim.

Also, after losing the APC Presidential primary, Governor Dave Umahi went back hom to pick the ticket for Ebonyi South Senatorial District while Former Minister of Niger Delta, Goswill Akpabio won the Akwa Ibom Northwest ticket after withdrawing from the party’s Presidential primary.

However, in a tweet, Odinkalu who has been vocal on latest political developments in the country, warned political parties against such substitution of elected candidates.
He tweeted:

“For the political parties now magically chopping & changing their candidates in #MakeBelieve primaries hurriedly arranged to fix in people who ran unsuccessfully for other offices, this order by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki against @OfficialPDPNig should focus minds”

He then posted excerpts from an Order of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki in the case between Chief Chukwuma Odei Ifeanyi VS Peoples Democratic Party and Independent National Electoral Commission in SUIT NO.: FHC/AI/CS/88/2022.

In the case, the Court declared inter alia:

“That the Peoples Democratic Party cannot lawfully upturn, cancel, annul etc the outcome of its Governorship primary held on 29/05/2022 for offending the provisions of the extant electoral law.

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