Umar Ardo, promoter of the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, has denied claims linking the proposed political party to former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Ardo
dismissed rumours that ADA was sponsored by Obi, describing them as false and
misleading.
He said there was speculation that the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, was reluctant to register ADA because of the belief
that Obi was behind the party and intended to join it.
According to him, even if Obi were involved, he has the
constitutional right as a Nigerian citizen to sponsor a political party.
He explained that the promoters of ADA had complied with all
legal requirements for registration but were disappointed by INEC’s refusal to
grant approval.
Ardo said the group had decided to seek legal redress,
adding that the matter would be taken to court and, if necessary, to the
Supreme Court.
He said: “Yes, time is ticking. Well, one of the allegations
that they say, what is going within, you know, milling within the rumor cycle
is that ADA is Peter Obi’s own political party, that Peter Obi will be coming
back into ADA. And therefore, you know, because of the political undertone of
it, ADA should not be registered. This is not true, assuming, without conceding
that Peter Obi is behind the ADA, is Peter Obi not any Nigerian? Is he not?
Does he not have the right, you know, to sponsor a political party and so on.
“But as I said, it is not about Peter Obi. I have not ever
met with Peter Obi. I have not been discussed by anybody discussing Peter Obi
on this matter.
“But for us to meet all this and then they (INEC) said no,
we will keep quiet. Let the courts determine. That is our position. If the
court determines it in good time. You know, we believe that we are going to
participate in the election if the court rules in our favor, but if the court
does not determine it in our favor, we will take the matter up to the Supreme
Court. It really doesn’t matter whether we participate in this election or we
do not participate in this election. We just want to prove a point that we have
met all the requirements of the law, and for no just reason, INEC refused to
register us.”
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