Party internal crisis: charges INEC on neutrality

By Musa Baba Adamu

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) yesterday appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral in the party’s internal leadership crisis.
The party also advised INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu to look into alleged attendance of it’s splinter group convention by the commission’s staff, even when they were served with court notice challenging the illegal convention
In a statement signed by the NNPP National Secretary, Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday, the party insisted that INEC chairman must fish out the colluding staff and ensure he or she is punished.
It noted that INEC must remain neutral in the NNPP internal crisis as required by law.
“Without prejudice to the integrity, honour and leadership of the INEC chairman, we are using this medium to remind him that the successes and otherwise of electoral processes in Nigeria largely depend on the level of quality leadership of the commission under his watch.
“It is trite to note that INEC as a commission has the mandate to regulate and control electoral processes in Nigeria in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Electoral Guidelines.
This shall be without prejudice to the partial autonomy and independence of political parties to regulate and control themselves in accordance with the party constitution.”
The NNPP pointed out that the courts including the Supreme Court of Nigeria had made several pronouncements in relation to the liberty and authority of political parties on matters of self- regulation and control of its affairs , administration and management.