By-election: My disqualification is deliberate, political – PDP Candidate, Onu

Mr. Silas Onu, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Feb. 3 Ebonyi South Senatorial by-election, says his disqualification from the election was “deliberate and political.”.

Supreme News reports that the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki had on Thursday disqualified the PDP candidate, Onu, in the senatorial by-election for the zone.

Delivering the judgment, Justice H. A. Ngajiwa, stated that the PDP candidate failed to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days’ notice of congresses for the by-election.

Onu, in his reaction, said the judgement given two days before the election was to create confusion in the process and ensure that his teaming supporters were discouraged from voting.

The candidate urged his loyalists not to be scared, assuring them that he would stand for the election.

“I am going to appeal the judgement disqualifying me.

“Today, we received a contrived judgement from the federal high court, Abakaliki, that the PDP did not give INEC 21 days’ notice of congresses for the by-election.

“While we acknowledge that the judgement is contrived and deliberately done for political reasons, we are filing our notice of appeal immediately to ensure that we legally continue our participation in the election.

“Our supporters are called to come out in their numbers and vote for PDP on Saturday, Feb. 3.

“The federal high court is not the final court in pre-election matters, and as such, our participation is sacrosanct, and our votes will count.

“God bless the PDP and the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Onu stated.

Supreme News recalls that INEC had fixed a by-election to fill the senatorial vacant seat following Mr. David Umahi’s appointment as Minister of Works.