“Evang. Mrs. Juliet Nkechi Ani insists she is the duly elected and authentic ADC senatorial candidate for Enugu West, accusing Barr. OAU Onyema of unlawfully presenting himself as the party’s flag bearer despite allegedly participating in another party’s primary election.”*

The senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Enugu West Senatorial District, Evang. Mrs. Juliet Nkechi Ani, has accused fellow aspirant, Barr. OAU Onyema, of unlawfully parading himself as the party’s candidate despite, according to her, not participating in the ADC senatorial primary election.

Speaking with journalists, Mrs. Ani described Barr. Onyema’s actions as a violation of Nigeria’s electoral laws, alleging that he simultaneously pursued the senatorial ticket of another political party, the NDC, while also laying claim to the ADC ticket.

According to her, Barr. Onyema participated in the NDC senatorial primary, where he was unsuccessful, and subsequently challenged the outcome in court. She questioned how he could now publicly present himself as the ADC candidate without participating in the party’s primary election.

“As a lawyer, he understands the implications of the Electoral Act. You cannot become the candidate of a political party without participating in its duly conducted primary election,” she said.

Mrs. Ani maintained that the ADC primary election in Enugu West was conducted peacefully, transparently, and in accordance with the law, adding that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies monitored the exercise in which she emerged victorious.

She further claimed that evidence of Barr. Onyema’s participation in the NDC primary election is already in the public domain and available for verification.

The ADC candidate urged party faithful, supporters, and members of the public to disregard what she described as Barr. Onyema’s “false claims,” insisting that she remains the duly elected and authentic ADC senatorial candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District.

Mrs. Ani also issued a seven-day ultimatum to an online news platform, Authority News, demanding the withdrawal of a publication which, according to her, recognized Barr. Onyema as the ADC senatorial candidate. She warned that failure to retract the report within the stipulated period would result in legal action.

She equally called on Barr. Onyema to immediately cease presenting himself as the ADC candidate, insisting that the matter should be resolved strictly within the provisions of the Electoral Act and the law.