The Candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the March 18, governorship election in Plateau State, Dabwan Alfred Clark has called for cancellation of the election for the exclusion of his party by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
Dabwan in a petition filed before the Plateau State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, through his counsel, Barrister Solomon Maren, said the symbol of his party which is the identity of the party was not reflected on the ballot paper that was used for the Governorship election in the state.
The Petition with number EP4/PL/02/2023, has Dabwan Alfred Clark as first petitioner and New Nigeria People’s Party NNPP as second petitioner while the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Mutfwang Caleb Manasseh and the People’s Democratic Party PDP as first, second and third respondents respectively.
Counsel to the petitioners, Barr. Solomon Maren said the main ground for the petition is that his client and his party were excluded from the ballot paper use for the conduct of the just concluded governorship election in the state.
He said by the provisions of section 42 of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC is mandated to call political parties that have sponsored candidates for each election at least 20 days before election to view and inspect the sample of the ballot paper INEC intend to use for the conduct of that particular election.
“So sometimes in November 2022, INEC invited political parties including my clients to inspect the Presidential ballot paper and after that inspection my clients wrote to INEC stating that the logo purported to be their party logo for that presidential election was not what they submitted to INEC. So there was a need for INEC to correct that before the election, that letter was submitted and properly received by INEC, we have the received acknowledgment copy of that letter.
“But surprisingly, after the 25 February, 2023 presidential election, NNPP realized that the same issue it complained against in that letter of 3rd November, 2022, they wrote to INEC still shows itself in the presidential election. And then NNPP wrote again to INEC another letter dated ,3rd March, 2023 after the presidential election complaining about the same issue and even on the letter, gave the sample of its logo to INEC.
“That letter was again received by INEC, yet when the governorship election of 18 March, 2023 came, on that day, of course you know that by that provision of section 42 of the Electoral Act, they were to be called again before the election of the governorship to inspect sample but that was never done by INEC and of course my clients complained but they never heeded to it. He said.
He noted that his clients were surprised that in the governorship election, the same logo they complained of still reflected there.
He said they are relying on section 134, (1b) which talk about election is marred by corrupt practices and non compliance to filed in their petition for non compliance with the Electoral Act.
“You know that had made thousands of their supporters to be disenfranchised… again, the acronym of NNPP was not on the logo, it could have made it distinguishable that even if the logo was not properly represented, the acronym should speak for electorates but that was not there” he added.
He added that his clients received complains from the field that some of the collation officers sent their party agents away, that their party was not represented in the ballot paper so what are they representing.
In the petition, the counsel prayed the tribunal to cancel the election so that it can afford his clients the opportunity to properly test their popularity in the field.
“What we are asking the tribunal is to declare the election null and void and we also seek damages from INEC”. Added the counsel to the petitioners.