A gubernatorial candidate and sitting governor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party in Nigeria, has been disqualified from participating in primaries that will see him run for a second term in office in coming state elections. Obaseki and five other aspirants were screened by the committee last week to validate their credentials and clear them for the party’s ticket to contest in the September 19 Edo state governorship election.
Mr Obaseki was reportedly disqualified over the authenticity of his higher school certificate and NYSC certificate, as well as his failure to provide supporting documents that the committee requested during his screening. Chris Ogiemwonyi and Matthew Iduoriyekemwe were similarly disqualified from contesting the APC’s primary election set to hold on 22 June, 2020.
What the Law Says
While the courts have jurisdiction over the conduct of primaries, they cannot question political parties over the expulsion of candidates from parties. Mr Obaseki can either appeal his disqualification to the APC Screening Appeal Committee or switch to another party. For Mr Obaseki, the first option is out of the way. His spokesperson told newsmen they will not be appealing the disqualification: “It would be an effort in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be, especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.”
The only options left for Mr Obaseki will be to cross-carpet to a new party or to not run at all but there hasn’t been any clear message on how the embattled governor intends to proceed. He has however asked his supporters to expect a decision soon, which according to him will be after he has spoken to the President of the country.
Bottomline
The issue of defective certificates among the ruling class in Nigeria has become too common and oftentimes set the electoral or polity process backwards, especially when candidates decide to appeal their disqualification from running for office or their removal from a seat. As the country seeks electoral reforms and a way to cut down the cost of elections, it is important to create a system that ensures certificate verifications are done once and for all to avoid conflicts such as this.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
