By Musa Baba Adamu
Candidates for elective offices who emerged from the primaries conducted by their parties, but had their names substituted in the list of candidates sent to INEC had been counselled to approach the courts for redress.
Expounding on the matter, the legal practitioner and civil rights activist, Kayode Ajulo maintained that the process through which a candidate emerges for election is specified in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and further given clarity by the Electoral Act.
According to Ajulo, candidates for election can either emerge through direct, indirect or through consensus all of which can only take place in a primary election.
“And for a primary to be scheduled, notice must be served on INEC, which plays the role of an umpire or a referee. Notice must also be served on those who purchased forms for the election, whose names will thereafter be published in that notice. After the primary. INEC submits a report”, he explained.
The legal practitioner further described as worrisome, the development where persons who did not participate in the primaries have their names submitted by their party to INEC as candidates for an election. “No political party should try that”, he affirmed.
He added that where any party attempts such, the authentic candidates who participated in the primary should seek recourse to the INEC report submitted after the primary to clear any ambiguity. He further urged the aggrieved candidate to approach the court as the right place to seek redress.
