In a press release issued yesterday, the Independent Electoral Commission invoked section 49 of Decree 78 of 1996, to inform the general public that the candidature of Mr. Ousman P. Jobe, who has been nominated to contest for the position of councilor under the NRP ticket for the Njau ward, has been annulled with immediate effect.

Mr. Jobe, according to the press release, has been disqualified based on section 17 (6) of the Local Government Act 2002 which is said to state: “Notwithstanding paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection 3 of this section, a person shall qualify to be elected or nominated to a council if 10 years have elapsed since the end of the sentence or disqualification or if he/she has been pardoned.

“From empirical evidence, 10 years has not passed since his conviction in 2000,” the release noted.