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Tag: POSN

  • POSN Members sue INEC over termination of voter registration

    POSN Members sue INEC over termination of voter registration

     

    …says it’s disenfranchisement of millions of eligible Nigerians

    A group of Nigerians under the aegis of Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its failure to comply with the constitutional provision that requires the commission to continue voter registration until at least 90 days to the general elections.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022 filed on their behalf by Abuja law firm, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN & Co., the Plaintiffs argue that INEC’s abrupt termination of the voter registration exercise would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters during the 2023 presidential election.

    The suit filed at the Federal High Court Abuja on Friday, August 5, 2022, seeks, among other things, an order compelling INEC to reverse its earlier directive halting the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across the country on July 31, 2022, and to declare as ultra vires, the commission’s decision to put a timeline on the CVR exercise outside the timeline provided by the 2022 Electoral Act, as amended.

    The Plaintiffs raised the following issues for Determination:

    “Whether having regards to the combined provisions of Sections 76(2), 77(2), 116(2), 117(2), 132(2) & (5) and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) as well as Sections 9(1), 9 (6), 10(1) and 12(1) of the Electoral Acts, 2022, the Defendant can or has the right or latitude to stop the continuous voter’s registration on 31st July, 2022, about over Seven and Half (71/2) months (208 days), or any other day not until ninety (90) days before the General Elections when there are millions of prospective voters including the Plaintiffs who have not Registered and are willing to do so.”

    The Plaintiffs prayed the court for the following reliefs:

    “A DECLARATION that the Defendant is expected pursuant to the provisions of Sections 76(2), 77(2), 116(2), 117(2), 132(2) & (5) and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) as well as Sections 9(1), 9 (6), 10(1) and 12(1) of the Electoral Acts, 2022, to continue voters Registration, update and Revision of voters register till 90 days before the General Election billed to take place on 25th February, 2023 and 11th march, 2o23.

    “A DECLARATION that it is the Constitutional responsibility of the Defendant to make sure that every prospective Nigeria voter who have shown desire to Register to vote are not derived their Civil right to Register and participate in the forthcoming General Elections Scheduled to take place on 25th February,2023 and 11th March 2023.

    “AN ORDER OF COURT directing the Defendant to Resume immediately the Registration of new voters, updating and Revision of the Register of voters until at least 90 days to the General Election slated to hold on 25th February 2023 and 11th March, 2023.”

    According to the lead Counsel, Ifeanyi Nrialike Esq, over three hundred members of the Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) across the 36 states and Abuja, contacted the POSN legal team expressing frustration over their inability to register because of the stoppage of the Voters Registration exercise by INEC.

    One of the Plaintiffs, Mr. Ernest N. Stanley, narrated how on several occasions he attended at the registration Center located at Lugbe for registration as a Voter to no avail.

    In his affidavit sighted by our correspondent, Mr Stanley stated, “That in all instances I have been to the Registration centers to get registered, I will meet a mammoth crowd of prospective voters who also came for the same purpose of which we queue under the sun for hours without being attended to.

    “That at the registration center that I have gone to get registered there are not enough personnel such as the Registration Officer to attend to the crowd that came to be Registered.

    “That on Several instances the registration would not go on with excuses that the system malfunctioned, and machine broke down being offered as the excuse and for the whole day there will be no registration exercise that will take place.

    “That before you know what is happening, and to my chagrin, the Defendant through its National Chairman announced that the continuous voters Registration Exercise will stop on 31st July 2022.”

  • 2023: Forget your interest, support Peter Obi, POSN tells Atiku

    2023: Forget your interest, support Peter Obi, POSN tells Atiku

    The Peter Obi Support Network has urged former Nigeria’s Vice President and presidential hopeful seeking for party ticket under Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to forget his ambition and support former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi in his quest to be the party’s flag bearer.

    Recall that both candidates have registered their interest in the country’s presidency and have been preparing for the forthcoming election in 2023.

    The Peter Obi group had written a letter to Atiku urging him to step down his ambition in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.

    The message was signed by the group’s Media and Communications Committee members, namely: Prince Emeka Kalu, Alhaji Kabir Garba, Adigun Makanjuola, Mr Marcel Ngogbehei and Comrade Sani Saeed Altukry.

    The group said stepping down and supporting Obi would not only save the PDP and Nigeria, but also ensure that the Atiku/Obi ticket of 2019, which Nigerians missed, was returned to power in 2023 and ensure that their lofty manifesto was implemented for the benefit of all.

    According to the group, the country as of today was in an extreme crisis, and it was at times like this that history and posterity recorded its greatest heroes and heroines.

    It added that the zoning arrangement already in place put Peter Obi in the front runner as a good candidate from the South-East.

    It urged Nigerians not to repeat the mistakes of 2015, adding that nobody should wish Nigerians another eight years of bad governance.

    The group noted that if the PDP conceded its ticket to the South-East, it would be sending a message that would drown the APC

    The statement read in part, “We write on behalf of millions of our members across Nigeria to call on you, our Party Leader, H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON), to seize the moment and show again the leadership you ably demonstrated in 2019 when you rose above primordial considerations to choose Mr. Peter Obi as the PDP Vice-Presidential Candidate; an action that got the entire country ‘Atikulated & Obligated.’

    “The Atiku/Obi 2019 ticket has gone down in history as Nigeria’s most inspiring presidential ticket of all time, which in our view was an unfairly denied victory.

    “Regardless of the foregoing, our relationship with you will last forever; and for the record, all of us in POSN were Atikulated & Obligated in 2019. Hence, for us, you are part and indeed the head of our family.

    “As you are aware, Nigeria had President Olusegun Obasanjo (Southwest, 1999–2007) and President Goodluck Jonathan (South-south, 2010–2015), leaving the South-East outstanding.

    “The All Progressives Congress has zoned its 2023 presidential ticket to the South; therefore, the PDP has no reason not to follow suit as a matter of law. To do otherwise will mean working against equity and fairness and inviting avoidable litigation and possible truncation of the PDP’s participation in the 2023 presidential election, which will give the APC a ‘walk-over-victory.’

    “Stepping down and supporting Peter Obi will not only save the PDP and Nigeria, but also ensure that the Atiku/Obi ticket of 2019, which Nigerians so dearly missed, is returned to power in 2023 and ensure that their lofty manifesto is implemented for the benefit of all.”