The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Chief Ralph Nwosu, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of plotting to undermine the party ahead of the Osun State governorship poll.
He dismissed claims by the commission that the 33-year-old deputy governorship candidate of the party did not meet the age requirement for the position.
INEC had said the ADC, Action Alliance and the All Progressives Grand Alliance would not take part in the election for failing to comply with the Guidelines on Political Party Operations (2018) or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The AA did not submit a nomination jointly signed by the national chairman and secretary of the party, while the ADC and APGA nominated candidates that do not meet the age requirements for the office of deputy governor as enshrined in the constitution,” the commission had said in a statement.
But addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Nwosu faulted INEC’s position, arguing that the electoral law was clear about the requirements for the position.
He vowed that the ADC would participate in and win the Osun governorship election.
The party chief decried what he called INEC’s adversarial attitude, stating that the agency’s decision was aimed at destabilising the ADC.
Nwosu, who was flanked by other executive committee members during the briefing, said, “INEC summoned us and said the ADC fielded a 33-year-old as deputy governorship candidate and alleged that the party did not follow the law.”
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