as  INEC vows to abide by rule of law
By EMMANUEL AZIKEN, Political Editor
LAGOS — SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and other embattled federal legislators enmeshed in court litigations have to sort out their eligibility for this year’s election today according to regulations of INEC.

The Speaker, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and other contenders for the National Assembly have until close of work today to work out a political solution or discharge court restraints against their participation in the elections.

INEC on its part has reaffirmed its determination to uphold the rule of law by adhering to all court orders with respect to nominations for the election.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, told Vanguard that there had been no alterations to the candidates as listed by the commission as at weekend.

Kayode who spoke in reference to the court orders the commission decided to comply with said: “As far as I know the list has not been changed. Events are still unfolding and INEC being a creation of the law will stand by the rule of the law.”

The assertion was a dash to claims by the PDP that Mr. Bankole had replaced Mr. Segun Alawode earlier listed by the commission as the PDP candidate for Abeokuta South Federal Constituency.

Legally specified deadline
Besides Speaker Bankole and Senator Ekweremadu, other prominent federal legislators encumbered by court processes from participating in the election include the Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin; spokesmen of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Senator Ayogu Eze and Rep. Eseme Eyiboh, among many others.

They may be barred from participating in the elections unless they get listed before the legally specified deadline for substitutions today, February 14, 2011.

Under the 2010 Electoral Act, the parties have until today to substitute candidates for elections into the two houses of the National Assembly scheduled for April 2, 2010.

Section 35 of the 2010 Electoral Act states thus: “A candidate may withdraw his candidature by notice in writing signed by him and delivered by himself to the Political Party that nominated him for the election and the political party shall convey such withdrawal to the Commission and which shall only be allowed not later than 45 days to the election.”

Bankole’s fate was worsened last week after the Obasanjo faction of the party in Ogun State filed a stay of execution against the execution of the judgment of an Ogun State High Court which recognized the Daniel faction as the legitimate faction of the party in the State.

Daniel who is the coordinator of the presidential campaign in the Southwest was absent at the Southwest zonal rally in Ibadan on Tuesday. He was allegedly held back by his aggrieved supporters who were peeved by the INEC refusal to recognize members of his faction in Ogun State for the election.

Bankole who is aspiring to return to the House of Representatives from Abeokuta South Federal Constituency was displaced by the nominee presented by the Obasanjo’s faction, Mr. Alawode.

Daniel on his part had obtained the PDP senatorial ticket to represent Ogun East senatorial district. A plan by members of his group to ditch the PDP for the relatively unknown Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, was held back last week after presidential emissaries met with him for three hours on Wednesday.

Senator Ekweremadu who has been a strong political force behind the Governor Sullivan Chime faction and had emerged as the senatorial candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District is equally constrained by a court order obtained by the rival faction of the party in Enugu which produced Chief Anayo Onwuegbu as gubernatorial candidate against Chime.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had granted an injunction restraining INEC from recognizing Chime and members of his group as the PDP candidates. The final judgment is to be delivered today. Members of the group are, however, hopeful that the injunction would be discharged.

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