The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has asked the president of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio to approach the Federal High Court to seek redress if they’re not satisfied with their (INEC’s) decision with respect to their Senatorial tickets.
JOURNALIST101 recalls that the electoral umpire didn’t publish the names of any candidate for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial Districts; the senatorial zones of Lawan and Akpabio respectively.
The duo claimed they won the senatorial tickets of the All Progressives Congress, APC, after failing to clinch the presidential ticket of the ruling party. While a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom say he’s the authentic candidate of the APC for Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial, Bashir Machina said he’s not letting go of the ticket for Lawan despite the pressure from the party’s national officers.
Following the ongoing confusion, INEC didn’t publish the details of any candidate for the two offices.
In a press statement issued by Festus Okoye Esq., National Commissioner and Chairman, information and Voter Education, the commission said it “stands by the monitoring reports received from our state offices. For this reason, the Commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two Constituencies at variance with the State reports.”
Okoye further stated that: “Right now, the Commission is funtus officio in the two cases. Aggrieved parties are at liberty to approach the Federal High Court and seek redress as provided in section 285 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and sections 29(3) and 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022.”
He also assured that; “The Commission will continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, including the deepening of the deployment of technology to enhance the credibility of elections.”
