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The Temple of Justice Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has condemned in its entirety the alleged plot by the leadership of the Enugu State House of Assembly to mortgage local government elections in the State.
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In a press conference yesterday, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Ozo Alex Amujiogu, called on all genuine stakeholders in the Nigerian political system in the State to join hands in stopping the alleged plan by the lawmakers to create confusion.
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“The attention of the Temple of Justice Foundation Enugu Nigeria had been drawn to the clandestine move by the Enugu State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon Uche Ugwu to mortgage local government Election to the highest political party bidder”, he said.
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Amujiogu further called on “all genuine stakeholders in the Nigerian political system in the State to rise up so that this political monster initiated by the said Assembly, will be quarantined into the dust bin of history.”
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According to him, the group has given the Enugu State House of Assembly seven days notice to withdraw the said Bill or face the full legal hammer of the law.
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He decried that “in this period, in which the people of the State who are seriously yearning for an independent and unbiased electoral system especially in the grassroot, a body constituted to make the welfare of the people of the state to be there priority , had suddenly turned around to be an additional tormentor to the hash political condition that the people of the State had found themselves”.
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“How can in a democratic system, political parties in a state to be compulsorily taxed or mandated to contribute money to Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission in order for them to conduct Local Government Election in the State.This in all intent and purposes, an aberration and an affront to our political system.It beats my imagination as to the level of reasoning that had engulfed the members of the said Assembly who supported the bill”, the group stated.
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“We call on the Executive Governor of Enugu State-Barr Peter Mbah not to give any Executive Stamp to the said Bill as it is not only inhuman, perturbing but also a grave violation of the extant and subsisting Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act .The said Bill , in all ramifications , is a threat to the fundamental rights of political parties in Enugu State to participate in an election, nominate candidates and be voted for.”
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“It could be recalled that recently, the Enugu State House of Assembly passed a bill mandating political parties in Enugu State to fund the conduct of local government Election before they can participate in the Election.
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