The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced training of National Youth Service Corps members for the controversial rerun senatorial election in Anambra Central District.
The election was in November scheduled for January 13. But a Federal High Court instead ruled that Obiora Okonkwo of the PDP be sworn in as senator representing the zone,
The election has been delayed by legal battles since the Court of Appeal sacked Uche Ekwuenife of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the seat on December 7, 2015.
According to the INEC head of publicity in Anambra State, Leo Nkife, the training exercise is an internal preparation by the commission and not in disobedience of any court order.
“INEC is still studying the two judgement from the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court Abuja,” he said in Awka on Thursday.
“We are a law-abiding agency and we are optimistic that with the resumption of work next week, the court will resolve every outstanding issue. What we are doing is an internal thing and every other thing after now is subject to the interpretation of the ruling by the two courts,” he said.
INEC had scheduled the rerun election for January 13 without PDP on the ballot.
However, a judgement by Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja later ordered the immediate swearing in of Obiora Okonkwo of the PDP who did not take part in the senatorial election in 2015.
