APC chairmanship aspirants drag DSIES to court

A Chairmanship Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Izu Iloba-Agafiena, has dragged the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission before the High Court in Asaba.

He is praying the court to grant an order restraining the commission from screening or recognising a candidate presented by the All Progressives Congress, for Aniocha South.

Iloba-Agafiena is also seeking for a restraining order against one Felix Ilomechine, who was allegedly used as a substitute for Izu Iloba-Agafiena by the APC, from parading himself as a candidate of the party, pending the determination of the pre-election suit.

Our correspondent gathered that APC in Aniocha South had unanimously endorsed and presented Mr IIoba-Agafiena as the flag bearer of the party in the March 6, 2021, Council Election.

However, the plaintiff averred that he was the party’s candidate and that when he arrived at the Commission’s Headquarters for screening, he discovered that several of his documents and credentials were missing.

He said, “All efforts to retrieve my documents have been futile as the APC State leadership has been evasive in giving me explanations of what transpired, leading to my missing documents.

“When I returned to the DSIEC office later that day to make further enquiry, I was told that my name and documents have been substituted for one Felix Ilomechine.”

The court has adjourned the hearing of the suit to 28 January, while all parties were said to have been duly served.

Also, another aspirant, Eugene Umunna has queried DSIES for publishing the name of Phillip Chike for Oshimili South LGA candidate instead of his name.

He said, “I don’t know how and where they conducted their primaries but definitely not in the LG Secretariat. It's my name the leadership submitted to DSIES; it was my greatest surprise to see my name replaced. I have also instituted a legal suit to that effect.”