2023 elections: INEC defies Adamu on Machina, kicks out Lawan, Umahi, Akpabio

…Says decision in best interest of Democracy, national interest

…To approach court over extension of voters’ registration

By Seth Akande and Ridwan Adekunle

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defied the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) decision to fill in the name of the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan as the candidate of the party for Yobe North Senatorial district.

Recall that the party had submitted Ahmad Lawan’s name as the substantive standard bearer of the district in what many considered as compensatory for Lawan’s failure to secure the Presidential ticket of the party.

Other bigwigs of APC whose names were missing in the list released by the electoral body, which was sighted by our correspondent, include the current Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi as well as Senator Godswill Akpabio.

This is coming on the heels of uncertainty over the names of candidates submitted by the party APC where candidates who had not validly contested for a particular position during the party primary elections had their names submitted.

Names such as the president of the senate; Ahmed Lawan, Governor of Ebonyi State; Dave Umahi, Minister of Niger Delta; Godswill Akpabio whose names were submitted by the party have been excluded by the commission.

While speaking on the program “Politics Today” on Channel’s Television, INEC National Commissioner, Fetus Okoye said that the names of candidates who did not emerge from valid party primary elections would not be published as the Commission had no obligation to publish such names.

“Section 29 subsection 3 of the Electoral Act 2022 obligates the commission (INEC) to publish the names of validly nominated candidates within a period of seven days after receiving their nominations.

“If a candidate has been validly nominated and has passed through valid party primaries and the names of the candidate has been submitted by the leadership of the party concerned, then the commission is under the constitution and legal obligation to publish the candidates.

“But if a political party submits to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the name of a candidate that did not emerge from a valid party primary election, the Commission is not obligated to publish the name of such candidate.”

Bashir Machina who emerged winner of APC for Yobe North senatorial election and President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, who had contested for the APC presidential primary have been at loggerheads over the senatorial seat, after Lawan lost the APC presidential primary to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

On whether the INEC could reject a candidate who did not emerge from party primaries, he said the constitution would decide the steps that would be taken by the commission.

“I don’t think it is fair for me to answer that question. If you look at Section 2 (85) of the Constitution, you look at section 2 (89) of the Constitution and, you also look at Section 84 of the electoral act. I think you can find the answers there.

“The Section 2 (85) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria makes it very clear that if a political party complains or is not happy with the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission relating to rejection of his candidate that such a political party can go to court. So the answers you are looking for are embedded in the constitutional free work and also in the Electoral act.

“We will continue to act in the best interest of the people of this country and also in the best interest of democracy and also in conformity with the electoral act. I am saying that our powers are embedded in the constitution and we will continue to exercise the power donated to us by the constitution, and those powers that have not been donated to us by the Constitution, we will not exercise them.”

Concerning the recent clamors of extension of voter’s registration by Nigerians, Okoye said that INEC is disposed towards extending voter registration as an extension seems inevitable.

“The Chairman has been very clear, and has been very consistent that the commission is disposed towards extending the date for continuous voters registration exercise, but we can only do so at the conclusion or determination of the case that is pending before the Federal High Court.

“We are going before the Federal High Court on the 29th day of this month, to put the cards on the table and we are convinced that after we make our arguments that the court will be convinced on why we cannot extend the CVR beyond the certain period.

“But we are convinced of the enthusiasm of Nigerians, giving the new resolve of Nigerians to register that an extension is inevitable and the Commission is disposed towards extending the period for the CVR but not up to the period that some people Canvassing.

“The Commission is convinced that getting more people into the voter’s row will add value to the electoral and democratic process. We want as many people as possible to be in the position to first register and show up on election day and vote, and for those that have lost their PVC, we want a situation where they can replace their PVC for those whose PVC have defaced.

“It will be a futile exercise to extend the period to an unreasonable time and at the end of the day we will be unable to print the Permanent voters Card of these new registrars and get them to collect this card. We want them to collect these cards and we also want them to show on election day. So we favorably disposed of an extension of the CVR.”

On parties submission of names and removal of names of such candidates leaving such position seats with no contestants for some parties by INEC, he said, “The Commission has not published the final list of validly nominated candidates, the final list of validly nominated candidates will be published by the INEC commission on the 20th day of September 2022, and that is for Presidential candidates and National Assembly candidates.

“What the Commission has published as at today complies with sections 29 subsection 3 of the electoral act which says that the moment political parties comply with the provision of section 29 subsection 1 of the electoral act in terms of the submission of its validly nominated candidates  that the commission shall publish the personal particulars of such candidates in the constituencies of where the candidates intends to contest for election.”