The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not field candidate for the September 10 governorship election in Edo State unless the crisis in the party is resolved this week.
The two factions claiming the leadership of the party – the Senator Ahmed Makarf-led National caretaker Committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction, have conducted separate primaries and picked different candidates, which they intend to forward to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But the commission said on Sunday that it deals only with political parties but not factions. Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Osaze Oluwole-Uzzi, in an interview, observed that there were conflicting court orders regarding the PDP leadership.
“There are conflicting court orders; when we study court orders we will know what to do, we will publish the name accordingly,” he said. The commission had, however, monitored the PDP primary that produced Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu as governorship candidate but rejected that of Senator Sheriff where Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen emerged as factional candidate on the ground that the notice did not comply with the Electoral Act.
According to the INEC timetable released for the election, submission of candidates for the election by political parties ends this week. Although Oluwole- Uzzi said he does not know the exact date, he reminded PDP leaders that “everyday counts,” and advised that they resolve their crisis as quickly as possible.
“We have not said we are taking A or we are taking B, when the deadline closes we will know the parties that submitted and we will publish the names,” he added. The commission had earlier said that it was waiting for the July 4 court judgement in Port Harcourt to determine who to deal with among the two claimants.
The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Liman which gave the ruling, affirmed Sheriff ’s sack and upheld the appointment of Senator Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.
Sheriff has as well obtained a court order from Justice Okon Abang, which recognised him as PDP chairman and ordered INEC to accept his governorship candidates for Edo and Ondo States.
The two factions claiming the leadership of the party – the Senator Ahmed Makarf-led National caretaker Committee and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction, have conducted separate primaries and picked different candidates, which they intend to forward to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But the commission said on Sunday that it deals only with political parties but not factions. Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Osaze Oluwole-Uzzi, in an interview, observed that there were conflicting court orders regarding the PDP leadership.
“There are conflicting court orders; when we study court orders we will know what to do, we will publish the name accordingly,” he said. The commission had, however, monitored the PDP primary that produced Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu as governorship candidate but rejected that of Senator Sheriff where Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen emerged as factional candidate on the ground that the notice did not comply with the Electoral Act.
According to the INEC timetable released for the election, submission of candidates for the election by political parties ends this week. Although Oluwole- Uzzi said he does not know the exact date, he reminded PDP leaders that “everyday counts,” and advised that they resolve their crisis as quickly as possible.
“We have not said we are taking A or we are taking B, when the deadline closes we will know the parties that submitted and we will publish the names,” he added. The commission had earlier said that it was waiting for the July 4 court judgement in Port Harcourt to determine who to deal with among the two claimants.
The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Liman which gave the ruling, affirmed Sheriff ’s sack and upheld the appointment of Senator Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee.
Sheriff has as well obtained a court order from Justice Okon Abang, which recognised him as PDP chairman and ordered INEC to accept his governorship candidates for Edo and Ondo States.