The Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, ANDP, yesterday, rejected the petition that led to the judgment that nullified the Bayelsa State governorship election won by Governor Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, ANDP, through its national officers led by its Chairman, James Femowei and its National Secretary, Quadri-Adu Kehinde, insisted that the suit was filed by its expelled former National Chairman, Chief Charles Ogboli.
The party admitted that it neither presented any candidate nor held a primary election for the Bayelsa State governorship poll.
“The purported Chairman of ANDP, Ogboli who has been parading himself as the Chairman of the party had been expelled from the party since December 8, 2018.
“Reasons for this expulsion are well documented in a report submitted to the Election and Party Monitoring, EPM, Unit of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on December 12, 2018.
“Therefore, Ogboli has no platform on which he could challenge a well constituted gubernatorial election held in Bayelsa State and even exercise the temerity to address newsmen as he had done in the last few days.
“In fact, Chief Ogboli does not have the locus to sue on behalf of ANDP, having constitutionality been expelled by a comfortable 2/3 majority of members of the National Executive Council of the party, guided by the Party constitution and which action was known to INEC.
“Suffice to say that Ogboli did not contest his expulsion at that time and until date has not done so.
“ANDP Bayelsa State did not present any candidate to contest the November 16, 2019 governorship election, as it had earlier adopted Senator Diri of the PDP.
“The NWC or State Exco did not attend any purported ANDP primary in Bayelsa State before the election. Where, when, which and how was the primary held without the involvement of the Party organs in the state?
“Ogboli should thus produce the list of members who attended the primaries, or, INEC can equally produce the attendance list of the National Working Committee members and the State Exco who were present at the ANDP primaries.”