The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it will continue to recognize Omoyele Sowore as the authentic national chairman of the African Action Congress, AAC.
INEC made this clarification in a letter by its secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, dated May 14, 2019.
The electoral umpire sent out its communique in reply to a letter by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the AAC, on May 13, 2019.
In its letter, the party sought to suspend Sowore and eight others over alleged anti-party activities.
However, after reviewing the party’s request, INEC said it discovered certain flaws that do not substantiate the AAC’s claims against Sowore and the others.
INEC’s letter partly read, “The commission, after reviewing the content of the letter, has established the following: There is no documentary evidence that a meeting of the AAC NEC was convened by the National Chairman as required by Chapter 9 Section 59(a) of the constitution of the AAC.
“The party did not provide a 21-day notice of the NEC meeting as required by Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). There are no minutes or evidence of attendance of the AAC NEC meeting where the National Chairman and eight others were purportedly suspended.
“Accordingly, the Commission shall continue to recognise and relate with Mr Sowore Omoyele as the substantive National Chairman of the AAC.”
Justice Iyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the suspended national chairman of the African Action Congress, AAC, and the presidential candidate of the party in the last presidential election, Mr Omoyele Sowore to stop parading himself as the national chairman of the party.
The court also ordered the deputy national chairman of the party, Mr Malcolm Fabiyi, to stop parading himself as deputy national chairman.
The court restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from further recognizing the suspended chairman, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
The newly sworn in acting chairman of the party Mr Leonard Nzenwa, dragged the suspended chairman and his deputy to court.
In the order granted by the court, the court restrained Mr Sowore and Fabiyi from further exercising any power or function relating to the offices pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
In the affidavit in support of the motion on notice, the party alleged that Mr Sowore failed to fulfill the mandatory statutory requirement of holding the national executive committee meeting of the party quarterly.
He is also accused of receiving money from foreign donor and used it for his personal use in contravention of the provisions of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The party said despite appeals made to him to call for a NEC meeting of the party to respond to allegations against him, he failed to do so.
The party further said that it reached a resolution on March 27, 2019, suspending them from the party for six months.
Mr Sowore was suspended as the chairman of the party and in his place the party appointed Mr Leonard Nzenwa, as the acting national chairman.
Read more at ThisDay
