Presidential candidates of CUPP to appear in ballot paper despite endorsing Atiku

- INEC said 73 presidential candidates will appear in ballot paper

- The electoral body said CUP is not a registered political party

- INEC also said Oby Ezekwesili's withdrawal from the race will not stop her name from appear on ballot papers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that 73 parties that fielded candidates for the 2019 presidential election would be on the ballot papers.

This in spite of the fact that some candidates under the umbrella of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUP) have endorsed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

The Punch reports that INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, clarified this.

He said CUPP was not a registered political party and that all the parties that submitted names will appear on the ballot paper.

Okoye said: “The commission will have the names and the logo of the 73 political parties fielding presidential candidates in the 2019 elections. In the eyes of the constitution and the law, the parties whose names have been published will contest the election and it is immaterial that they are canvassing for votes for other candidates.

“The CUPP is not a registered political party. It has the right to exist by virtue of the provisions of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) guaranteeing right to peaceful assembly and association. The CUPP is also entitled to right to freedom of expression guaranteed in section 39 of the same constitution.”

“Political parties are not obligated to inform the commission of the alliances and decisions they make relating to their internal dynamics. Alliances and positioning are part of the democratic process. Writing to INEC on the issue of their support for a candidate is a redundant exercise.

“When parties merge or want to merge, they follow the laid down procedures in the constitution and the Electoral Act. Parties going into an alliance do so on their own. But all the 73 parties that fielded candidates for the 2019 presidential election will be on the ballot and nothing will change that fact. It is however their right to engage in their own political action.”

Okoye also spoke on Oby Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from the presidential race does not automatically exclude her from the ballot.

He said: “By Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) the period for the withdrawal of candidates for all categories of elections has lapsed. The permission for a candidate to withdraw in section 33 of the Electoral Act is anchored on Section 35 of the Electoral Act.

“Section 33 of the Electoral Act provides that a political party shall not be allowed to change or substitute its candidate whose name has been submitted to the commission except in cases of death or withdrawal. Section 35 specifically provides that the withdrawal in Section 33 must take place within the period covered by Section 35 and this period has elapsed.”

Meanwhile, opposition political parties has condemned the suspension of the chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement made available to Legit.ng, and signed Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, CUPP spokesperson, the coalition of opposition parties claimed that it would not recognise any other person who may be occupying that office illegally.

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It also alleged that the removal was aimed at stopping the swearing in of members of the 2019 general election petition tribunal.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

Onnoghen's Trial is Politically Motivated - APRJ | Legit TV.

Source: Legit.ng

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