The quest for Local Government Autonomy yesterday recorded a boost as tan An Anambra Court presided over by the Chief Judge of Peter N Umeadi this afternoon order the Anambra State independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) to conduct election for only candidates already nominated for the election before the process was stopped before August 15, 2017.
In a landmark judgment which lasted for 135 minutes in Court 1 of Anambra State High Court, Hon Justice Umeadi, while delivering judgment in suit No A/182/2016 brought by All Progressives Congress (APC) & 21 others vs Anambra State independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) & 28 others, held that the appointment and reappointment of Caretaker Committees in the 21 LGs of Anambra State is illegal.
The Chief Judge also ordered that in view of his findings of fact that only APC nominated candidates for the 2015 Anambra State Local Government Elections, and all other parties failed to do so, ANSIEC should conduct give a notice of election and conduct election for the nominated candidate and conduct within 90 days from today May 18, 2017.
Umeadi came down heavily on ANSIEC for sleeping on its independence, and subjecting itself to the illegality, whims and caprices of the Executive arm of Anambra State Government with the result that they abandoned their responsibility for conduct of election’.
He therefore ordered ANSIEC, having admitted that nominations had closed and candidates of only APC were nominated, ‘complete the process which they already started’.
Anambra State last held Local government elections in January 2014. The officers elected and sworn in at the time were supposed to vacate office in January 2016.
The local Government Law of Anambra State 1999 stipulates that nomination that nomination processes must be concluded between 60 and 90 days to the expiration of the tenure. (Octobber-November 2015. Only APC nominate candidates at the time.
The implication of this judgment according to lead Cousel for APC, Barr. George Ogara is that ANSIEC will give a notice of election and conduct the election for only those nominated at the close of nomination in October 2015. ‘So heads or tail, APC will win.’
Ogara commended the judiciary for standing firm against undemocratic practices and urged ANSIEC to comply, with the order of the court.
According to Ogara, the implication of the declaration of appointments and reappointments of Care Taker Committee in 21 local government areas of Anambra State is that is that ‘ any person whp parades himself, purports to parade himself ,or hold himself out as as a Care Taker Committee Chairan from today will be in contempt of the court.
In fact APC teams of lawyers have received an express dispensation mandating them to commence commuttal proceedings against any person who parades himself as such in any of the 21 LGs In Anambra State.
In his initial reaction on telephone Reacting on telephone, APC spokesman and Anambra State Publicity Secretary ‘It is a day of victory for Anambra State and Ndigbo form those who falsely claim to represent Igbo interests’.
We have seen judgments of local government election matters, but we have seen none like this which implices that Anambra is departing from an era of PDP 16 years of impunity and non-conduct of elections and APGA’s 13 years of parochial rule, political suppression and economic exploitation achievement by confiscation of LG funds.
Madukaife urged Anambra citizens in all 21 LGs to be vigilant to ensure that public property is neither pilfered .nor vandalized in the course of vacation of office and unwinding the illegal government’ adding that his party ‘ have been
