State assembly poll: Stakeholders demand postponement in Anambra constituency

BSome legal practitioners in Anambra State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shift conduct of the State House of Assembly poll in one of the constituencies in Anambra State.

The affected place, Blueprint learnt, is Onitsha South I State Constituency, whose House of Assembly member and candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the 2019 general election, Patrick Obiora Aniunoh died late last month.

Aniunoh, who hailed from Umuoji, Idemili North Local Government Area, died on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 following an undisclosed illness. 

His death made it two lawmakers lost in the sixth Assembly – first being late Hon. Francis Mmegbuanaeze, APGA, who represented Idemili North State constituency.

Mmegbuaneze died on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, after an undisclosed sickness and had been replaced by his wife, Nkoli, who won the November 17, 2017 bye-election held to that effect. 

He died after participating in a primary election that produced Willie Obiano as candidate of APGA for Anambra State November 17, 2017 governorship poll, while his constituent and colleague, Aniunoh died the day INEC officially announced results of 2019 Presidential poll won by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on what the Electoral Act said concerning death of a nominated candidate of any political party, prior to an election date, a legal practitioner, Barr. Chibuna John Okoli Akirika, explained that the election in the constituency should be postponed to enable APGA to conduct a primary poll in accordance with the electoral Act.

On his part, another legal luminary, Barr. Jerry Emebie, said even though he was not an expert in electoral issue, Electoral Act gave the INEC power to postpone election in the constituency to enable whichever party that lost candidate to conduct primary for replacement of their candidate.

16 other political parties contesting for the legislative office in Onistha South I along APGA are People Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), All Progressive Congress (APC), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Accord Party (AP), etc. 

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