Peter Obi Not Eligible For Presidential Election – APC Chieftain Quotes Constitution, Gives Reason For Disqualification

A former presidential aide and spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council in Cross River State, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla has said that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi is not eligible for next month’s presidential election.

According to the APC chieftain, Obi contested and won the LP ticket when he was not a member of the political party.

Speaking during an interview in Calabar, Obono-Obla quoted section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022, saying “each party is required to maintain a membership register in hard and soft copy and to make such register available to the Independent National Electoral Commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for primaries, congresses, and conventions. ”

The lawyer argued that at the time Obi won the presidential primaries of the LP his name was not on a mandatory list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which contained the names of all the members of the party.

He said, “On April 30, 2022, INEC demanded all political parties to submit registers of its members. The Labour Party held its presidential primaries on 31 May 2022. Peter Obi joined the Labour Party on 27 May 2022. It follows that as of 31 May 2022 when Peter Obi purportedly won the ticket of the Labour Party, his name was not on the register of the Labour Party which had been submitted to INEC in compliance with the requirement of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022.”

The APC stalwart insisted that one of the constitutional requirements to become a President is that the candidate must belong to a political party.

Responding to Obono-Obla declaration via a text message to Daily Post,  the chairman and governorship candidate of the LP in Cross River State, Ogar Osim said in their party, they have waivers.

He wrote: “There’s a provision for a waiver in Labour Party.”