Bayelsa By-Election: INEC Excludes APC, Clears PDP, 11 Others

The All Progressives Congress has been excluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from the forthcoming Bayelsa West Senatorial District by-election.

The commission, however, announced that 12 political parties met the commision’s requirements to contest in the electoral process.

The election will be held on 5th December, 2020.

INEC’s HOD Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, in a statement released on Friday noted the 12 political parties cleared for the election include Accord, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, Action Democratic Party, Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, National Rescue Party, Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and Young Progressive Party.

In the statement, Ifogah further explained that, “the exclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is in compliance with the Federal High Court judgement in suit no: FHC/YNG/CS/60/2020 and FHC/YNG/CS/66/2020 which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from including the name and logo of the candidate of the party for Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Peremobowei Ebebi.”

Recall that Justice Jane Inyang, in his ruling on a case of forgery filed by Richman Samuel, a former Director of Domestic Matters, Government House, Yenagoa, declared the APC candidate ineligible to contest.

Samuel had accused the APC candidate of forging the academic credentials and voter’s card, which he submitted to INEC for the by-election.

Ebebi, who is a former deputy governor, emerged the APC candidate in a direct primary conducted in September by primary electoral committee headed by General Abdulsalam Dahiru (retd.)