The National Conscience Party (NCP) and its candidate in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Peters Osawaru Omoragbon, have called for the cancellation of the entire process that produced governor Godwin Obaseki as winner.
This call is coming after Obaseki received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Omoragbon who was reacting to the outcome of the polls in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, accused INEC of disregarding a valid judgement of the Court of Appeal by going ahead to conduct the election without re-listing the NCP in the register of political parties.
According to Omoragbon, the illegal exclusion of his party’s logo and name on the ballot by the electoral umpire was an abuse of court process and total disregard to the rule of law.
He said, “The action of INEC is a reflection of the actions of the ruling class towards obeying court rulings.
“INEC would again be shooting itself on the legs by going ahead with the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo State, when there was a subsisting ruling of the appeal court to reinstate the de-registered political parties including the NCP.
“That was an abuse of court process and total disregard to the rule of law. By not appealing that judgement of August 10, 2020, or asking for a stay of execution and still went ahead with the September 19 2020, INEC is doomed to fail at the Supreme Court.
“Come October 13, 2020, the court case between the NCP and the INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation over the illegal exclusion of my candidacy in the just concluded Edo 2020 governorship elections and unconstitutional de-registration will be heard. In the worst-case scenario, the matter may probably end up at the Supreme Court just as it did in 2002 and we are sure of victory. If and when the Court upholds our argument, INEC will be left with no choice than to conduct a fresh election to include my Party and other political parties that were illegally excluded,” he said.
