SOME Nigerians on Wednesday took to the streets of Abuja in protest of the candidacy of Chief Peter Nwaoboshi for next year’s general election.
Nwaoboshi, the incumbent lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District, is seeking a third term under the All Progressives Congress.
However, the protesters under the aegis of Save the Humanity Advocacy Centre, argued that the APC candidate is ineligible to seek elective position in 2023 owing to a court judgement.
A Court of Appeal, in Lagos, in July, sentenced Nwaoboshi to a seven-year jail term over fraud.
By this conviction, the group said Nwaoboshi in the eyes of the law is regarded as a convict which alone is sufficient to disqualify him from standing in the 2023 elections.
Marching from the Unity Fountain to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the group said the lawmaker has no business seeking re-election and should be in jail.
“We humbly call the attention of the INEC Chairman and the public to the fundamental breach of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999(as amended) in relation to the Nomination of Sen. Chief Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi for Senate of Delta North Senatorial District, in Delta State,” they said in a statement.
“We bring to your notice a very grevious and fundamental breach of Section 66(1) (c) -(d) of our sacred Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which breach is in relation to the eligibility of a candidate to contest for an election into the House of Representatives or Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For the purposes of clarity the said provision is reproduced hereunder;
It states:
Section 66(1): No person shall be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Representatives if:
“c) he is under a sentence of death imposed on him by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for an offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or any other offence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court;
(d) within a period of less than 10 years before the date of an election to a legislative house, he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of a contravention of the Code of Conduct.
“The provisions of the Section 66 (1) (c)-(d) are absolutely clear on issues of who is qualified to contest and circumstances in which someone is not qualified to contest for the office of Senate, therefore with this conviction and in tandem with the above stated provisions we strongly urge you to immediately disqualify Sen. Chief Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi the nominated candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and delist his name from the list of qualified candidates for the office of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing the good people of Delta North. Failing to disqualify Sen. Chief Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi would amount to a serious disregard and fundamental breach of the provisions of our very sacred Constitution 1999 (as amended).
“As we have all seen in the activities of INEC under the leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, he’s known for his strong adherence to the rule of law and justice and we urge him to use your good office to aid the good people of Delta North Senatorial District in their quest to find and elect a worthy representative to Senate of Nigeria.
“We are confident that this issue would be given due consideration and expeditious action taken to protect the sanctity of our Constitution 1999(as amended). We are also confident that the law will be followed to the very last so no one across the country will be disenfranchised as the reform within the INEC continues to rebuild the lost confidence of Nigerians under the leadership of Professor Mahmood.”
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