By Ayodele Oni
September governorship election in Edo state is being threatened following move by the National Rescue Movement (NRM), to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court.
The threat followed exclusion of the name of NRM candidate, Dennis Osaron Aikoriogie, from lists of candidates contesting the poll by INEC.
NRM National Publicity Secretary, Olusola Afuye, in a statement, said failure of INEC to upload the name of its candidate, the party would scuttle the entire process.
He advised the electoral body to resist interfering in the internal affairs of the party and to implement the resolutions of the October 23, 2023 constituted NRM NEC meeting, which the Commission monitored.
“The Leadership and entire family of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) condemns in strong terms the exclusion of its governorship candidate in the list published by the Commission on Sunday March 31, 2024.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had displayed the list of candidates of the 17 political parties participating in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
“The INEC office in Edo State, led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Anugbum Onuoha, displayed the list on its notice board and in all INEC offices across the 18 local government areas on, but mysteriously excluded the name of our candidate, Dr Dennis Osaron Aikoriogie, who duly participated in the legitimate primaries monitored by INEC from National Headquarters Abuja and the State HoD GAP in Benin and widely reported in the media.
“The National Rescue Movement (NRM) demands that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should immediately upload the name and credentials of our candidate or risk scuttling the entire process which has cost the country a lot of taxpayers’ money.”
Also, he demanded that INEC should apologize to NRM and its candidate in Edo for wrongly exposing the party to public ridicule.
“Finally, NRM calls on Nigerians and our supporters in Edo State especially, not to despair or relent, but remain steadfast and resolute.
“They should unite in resisting any anti-democratic tendencies intended to instil fear in them and set the stage for a dictatorial order and the erosion of our personal freedom and liberty as citizens, which they have been enjoying in the last few years since the return of democracy.
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