The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not field candidates for state and federal elections in Zamfara State.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, ahead of Thursday’s release of the list.
The statement reads in part: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met today, 30th January 2019 and among other things approved the final list of candidates for the Governorship State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections scheduled to hold on 2nd March 2019.
“The Commission reviewed the situation concerning the All Progressives Congress (APC) fielding candidates for the Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State. Commission noted that there are two court judgements on the matter one from a State High Court in Gusau and the other from a Federal High Court in Abuja.
“The former judgement clearly said that the APC conducted primaries in Zamfara State, contrary to the position of the Commission. On the other hand, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the party did not conduct valid primaries and therefore is ineligible to field candidates for the elections.
“The Commission would like to reaffirm its commitment to obeying all court judgements, even when it disagrees with them. However, these are clearly two contradictory judgements delivered by two courts of coordinate jurisdiction on the same day.
“Consequently, the Commission has decided to maintain its original position that the party in question did not conduct primaries and therefore, in line with Section 87 of the Electoral Act 20l0 (as amended), is not eligible to field candidates for the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State.”
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Kabir Marafa, has said he does not care if his party, the APC failed to produce a governor in the forthcoming elections in his state.
According to him, some senators and former governors were being used by the Zamfara State government to escalate the crisis rocking the APC in the northwestern state.
The lawmaker on Tuesday, said President Muhammadu Buhari was not concerned about APC not having a governor in Zamfara in the forthcoming polls.
He said, “There is a limit to loyalty. My loyalty first and foremost is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because we must have Nigeria before we can have the Senate”.
Comentarios