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The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has disclosed of its resolve to stand by the report of its monitoring team to the All Progressives Congress APC Yobe North Senatorial Primary Election.
Bashir Machina had emerged as winner of that contest but in a curious twist of fate, the ruling APC had forwarded the name of Senate President Ahmad Lawan as its candidate for the district, despite not participating in the exercise.
Lawan was one of the presidential aspirants in the June 6-8 APC special Presidential Convention which held several days after the party had concluded its Senatorial Primaries across the country.
INEC in a statement on Thursday signed by its National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye said notwithstanding a counter affidavit filed against the commission, it still stands by the report of its monitoring team.
“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has been drawn to a counter affidavit purportedly filed in the Federal High Court, Damaturu Judicial Division relating to the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election.
“Notwithstanding the matter in Court and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the Commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team and it was on the basis of that report that the Commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District”, Okoye stated.
In an Affidavit before the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe state, dated August 11, 2022, one Mohammed Ayuba, an assistant executive officer in the Litigation and Prosecution Department of INEC had reportedly claimed that the primary election which Mr Machina held on to, was not the one organized by the national leadership of the APC for the Yobe North Senatorial District.
In the said document, Mr Ayuba said on oath that the APC submitted Mr Lawan as its candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District.
Consequently, INEC said it will “review its quality assurance protocols, including the preview by appropriate ranking Officials of all processes filed on its behalf to ascertain their correctness in all material particulars with all reports and all information at its disposal before their presentation so that a situation like this is not repeated.
“The Commission has also instructed the external counsel briefed to handle this matter to reflect the correct position, which aligns with the report submitted by our Monitoring Team”, he added.
