The Chief Press Secretary, Independent National Electoral Commission, Rotimi Oyekanmi, has said that the commission is in the dark on the candidacy of the All Progressive Congress for the Bayelsa State governorship election, adding that the commission awaits the court’s decision.

The commission’s CPS made the remarks on Friday when he was featured on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme.

Oyekanmi stated that INEC can’t make such decisions until a court order is given.

In September, a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit seeking the disqualification of the APC governorship candidate, Timipre Sylvia.

The plaintiff, Hon Isikima Johnson, stated that Sylva had been elected into governorship office twice, and took the oath of office and oath of allegiance twice while he also claimed that the April 14 primary election that produced Sylva was illegal and unlawful having been allegedly done in contravention with APC’s guidelines, PUNCH reports.

However, Justice Inyang Ekwo said Johnson failed to establish issues raised in the suit to warrant the disqualification of Sylva from the governorship poll.

When asked whether the APC has a governorship candidate in the state, Oyekanmi said, “This is the situation – when there are legal cases, you have to wait until the end of the legal issues.

“Because things can happen within a few days or a few weeks. If you have something today and the person is appealing to a higher court, you have to wait until the higher court takes a decision.”

He added, “What I am saying is that, when the final decision on that particular matter is taken, the commission will come out to say, ‘This is exactly what the situation is’. But please, let’s take it easy, and let’s wait till the commission takes that decision.”

The INEC CPS said the commission respects court orders, noting that, “When a court order comes and says we should drop a particular name and accept another, we do so. And then in the remarks column, we now say ‘by court order’.” (PUNCH)

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