Following an Appeal Court judgment nullifying the participation of all candidates of the All Progressives Congress in the recently concluded general elections Zamfara state, over noncompliance with the electoral law in the conduct of its primaries, former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to immediately withdraw certificates of return issued them.
He also called on INEC to invite candidates of the PDP for issuance of the certificates as they remain the only legitimate candidates and winners of the elections.
Fayose who made his position known in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, hailed the decision of the court, stressing that “hope appears not lost for democracy in Nigeria after
all”.
“Those who cannot play by their own rules and run the affairs of their own party in accordance with laid down rules should not be rewarded with elective positions. INEC must, therefore, act decisively by halting the presentation of certificate of return to the impostor termed APC governorship candidate, withdraw it from the National Assembly candidates and hand the certificates to the PDP candidates who are lawful winners of the elections.”
“Those who believed that they can impose their wish on the people of Zamfara State will be defeated ultimately. This is a great victory for democracy. It is a sign that all hope is not lost.
“When parties in government behave as if they are law unto themselves, forgetting that the country is bigger than all of us, the judiciary becomes the only saviour.
“One is therefore relieved that the judiciary is giving Nigerians hope that all will still be well with democracy in the country and I salute those courageous judges of the Appeal Court and others who have refused to be boxed into submission,” Fayose said.
