2023: APC has no senatorial candidate for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom – INEC

Adeleye Kunle Reports

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no candidate for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts.

TrackNews reports that Ahmed Lawan, the Seante President who currently represents Yobe North is trying to secure APC’s ticket after he lost the presidential primary election.

Godswill Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom governor is also striving to get APCs ticket to run for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial seat after he lost the party’s presidential primary election.

Festus Okoye, INEC’s National Commissioner revealed that the electoral body does not recognise the party’s candidate for the senatorial zones.

“In these two constituencies, two names were forwarded and the commission made a determination that the names were not persons who emerged from a validly conducted party primaries and we did not publish their names. That is where we are,” Okoye.

“Their (Lawan and Akpabio) names were uploaded by the APC to our candidates’ nomination portal but the Commission made a determination that they were not the candidates that emerged from valid party primaries,” he added.

“The commission did not publish their names and their particulars in their constituencies. So, the implication is that as of today, the APC does not have candidates in those two constituencies.”

INEC had already denied doctoring and backdating documents to accommodate the nominations of Lawan and Akpabio as senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections.

“The Forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the Commission,” INEC said.

“The decision of the Commission triggered legal action which is still ongoing.

“It, therefore, defies logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice.”