From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
In less than 24 hours over 25 political parties besieged the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) in protest of the disqualification of their candidates in the November 4 local government election, the electoral body has reversed itself.
The ENSIEC had earlier disqualified many candidates of the political parties that indicated interest for the polls except those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the grounds that they do not have tax clearance, valid voter’s cards or their names missing, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) having the lion’s share of 73 candidates.
But rising from a meeting with the political parties Thursday at ENSIEC office, its Chairman, Chief Mike Ajogwu (SAN) made a U-turn, saying that the disqualified candidates could now run after meeting provisions as specified in the electoral guideline.
He said that after the protest by some of the political parties he went beyond the Enugu State laws on local government election to study the one for conducting elections into the state House of Assembly and discovered that tax clearance was not required for the candidates.
He, therefore, advised the political parties whose candidates were disqualified because of tax to bring their names forward again to the commission.
On those who were disqualified on grounds of using temporary voter’s card, Ajogwu said that if they could show evidence that they are above 30 years they should be allowed to participate in the election.
He said that the electoral body would only stop those who failed to obey the guideline for the council polls.