Real Reasons INEC Cannot Disqualify APC Presidential Candidate.

INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has maintained that the commission cannot disqualify the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), even if he does not present his senior school certificates in the future.

Jega, who spoke on Wednesday night during an interview on a Channels TV programme, titled, Straight Talk With Kadaria, said those asking the commission to disqualify Buhari were free to go to court.

He explained that the Electoral Law permitted that if any presidential candidate cited any documents that he could not produce, he could swear to an affidavit.

On the eligibility of Buhari and the calls for INEC to disqualify him, Jega said,

“When a political party presents a candidate and he meets all the requirements of submission-deadline and the forms- INEC cannot reject such a candidate.

“There is a provision that the candidates should provide documentary evidence of whatever
qualification they have cited, but the law also permits that if you cite documents and you don’t have photocopies, you can swear to an affidavit and in this case, INEC by the provision of the section 31 of the Electoral Act cannot disqualify an appropriately nominated candidate of any party.

We can de-register a political party, but the law says we must accept any candidate; it is a matter for the court, they are free to go to the court.”

Culled From: PUNCH