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The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) has expressed its outrage over the alleged
doctoring of the list of candidates it submitted to the Independent
National Electoral Commission last week. The national chairman of the
party, Tony Momoh, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the
commission disobeyed the provisions of the enabling law by substituting
some names which it submitted to it for approval. Apparently referring
to the announcement of Mohammed Abacha, son of the late military
dictator, Sani Abacha, as the CPC gubernatorial candidate in Kano
State, Mr. Momoh insisted that only the parties had the right to choose
who contests on their platform and not the commission. The list of
candidates published by INEC shows that the name of Jafaru Isa
submitted by the CPC national leadership as Kano state governorship
candidate was replaced with that of Mr. Abacha and his running mate,
Hussaini Garba.

“INEC is a creation
of the law and can’t be unlawful in the handling of the party’s
candidates list,” Mr. Momoh said during a meeting of the party’s
national executive committee. “We should be watchful. This is the last
opportunity we have to deepen the democracy. The manner the INEC
handled the list leaves much to be desired. How can they flagrantly be
substituting candidates on their own?”

According to the CPC boss, other factors also determined the winner of a primary.

“So INEC can’t do whatever they like,” he said. “They can’t do anything outside the law.”

Kayode Idowu, the
chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, explained to
journalists that the commission had abided by the law in its operations.

“Besides, the
period of claims and objection is there for whoever has any grievances
against any candidate to come forward with it,” he said. “So there is
still the opportunity to make complaints and raise objections.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Momoh said that CPC alliance talks with the Action
Congress of Nigeria collapsed because its presidential contestant,
Muhammadu Buhari, could not agree to the terms dictated by the ACN.