Safiu Kehinde
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has revealed the act of some political parties showing up with fake death certificates of candidates in an attempt to substitute them.
The boss of the non-profit democratic governance advocating organization made this known at a discussion panel on Politics Today Program aired by Channels Television.
Speaking on issues around nomination of candidates ahead of the Legislative bye and run-off elections, Itodo, disclosed that out of their desperate attempts to force and install a candidate that did not gain popular support of the people, some political parties do present fake death certificates of candidates who won the primaries and refuse to withdraw from the race.
“We’ve seen cases where candidate did not voluntarily withdraw from the race but parties showed up either with fake death certificates claiming that those candidates are dead because they want to ensure they advance their political agenda or ensure that the candidate that did not enjoy popular support from the people is forced and installed as a candidate of the political party.” He said.
He stressed further that some political parties often exploit the Provisions of the Electoral Act to advance their political agenda during primary elections.
“We’ve seen situations where primaries are conducted by parties either through direct or indirect system or consensus; fulfilling the Provisions of the law.
“But what happens after the primaries, there is now substitution of candidates and we’ve seen parties exploit the Provisions of the Act.
“And the law is very clear- the only key instances where you can substitute a candidate, based on the electoral act, is where a candidate dies or where a candidate just withdraw from the race” He explained.
On his part, a political analyst, Sulaiman Arigbabu, urged those with political ambition, but with stories that befitting in the eye of the law, to detest from joining political parties.
“If you don’t want to hear your history you did not know, don’t joining political parties. ” He said
He decried the act of multiple parties putting multiple candidates to run for political positions.