Abi/Yakurr Reps Seat: Doors Shut Against John Ifere? *His Party Didn’t Submit His Name -INEC *Obono-Obla: INEC Can’t Save Him

Godwin AJOM, Calabar

A thick cloud is now hanging over the ambition of Mr John Ifere to become a member of the House of Representatives. He is not sure of being on the ballot for that election, despite all his claims and efforts towards contesting for the Abi/Yakurr seat.
Last week, his supporters and his party woke up to the shocking reality that his name was not part of the final list of candidates published by INEC for next year’s election. Ifere himself does not seem to be exactly sure of what must have gone wrong.

On social media, his supporters have been making efforts to sell his candidacy, not knowing that the man was not known to the electoral umpire at all.
Sources confided in TNN that it was likely that his party did not submit his name to INEC as a candidate. It was also not clear if the party organised any primary where INEC monitored.

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Spokesman of INEC, Mr Festus Okoye, in response to a whatsapp message from TNN said Ifere’s name may not have been on the published list because his party did not submit his name. He urged TNN to reach the Labour Party for clarifications on this.
When TNN reached the state party chairman, Ambassador Ogar Osim said his party was working hard to see how the court could grant them an order directing INEC to fix his name as candidate. He said there was an omission, even as he urged their supporters to be calm.

However, a lawyer and former presidential aide, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla said in an interview that INEC’s hands are tied on the matter, especially if the party did not upload Ifere’s name. “There is no legal implication on the part of INEC if the omission to include the name of a supposed candidate on the list released by INEC is a result of the default of the political party that has the burden to upload the names and personal particulars of its candidates that were validly nominated and it proposes to sponsor to INEC server.

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“However, if a political party had evidence that it uploaded its list to the INEC server as requested, it can institute an action against INEC to include the name of its candidates it had submitted to INEC with evidence that it was received by INEC.
“Those whose names are missing from the list and who have reasonable grounds to believe their political party uploaded to the INEC server and they have evidence that it was duly received by INEC have a cause of action against INEC and can institute an action against INEC.”

Meanwhile, Obono-Obla has expressed optimism that the APC would come out victorious during the Abi/Yakurr elections as well as other elections in the state.
“Abi is an APC stronghold. In 2019 APC beat PDP silly in Abi. Remember, Dr Alex Egbona the member of the House of Representatives representing the Abi-Yakurr Federal constituency is from the Erureku area which also will vote massively for their illustrious son.

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“My senatorial district is the Central Senatorial District comprising Abi, Boki, Etung, Obubra, Ikom and Yakurr. I am from Ugep in Yakurr’s local government area. It has a voting strength of 150,000. APC candidate is from Mkpani. Mkpani and Ugep are culturally, ethnographically, historically, and genetically interconnected.

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“Indeed the people of Mkpani migrated from my ward in Ijiman, Ugep to their present location. Ijiman council ward is the strongest APC base within Ugep. I fervently believe that Ugep people will therefore vote massively for him.
“Since 2019, the political dynamics have shifted and changed dramatically. The movement of Senator Ben Ayade’s group to APC has strengthened significantly the APC so much that APC has become the biggest party in the entire central senatorial district. Obubra, Ikom, Boki etc have all become APC strongholds.”