Oshiomhole replies INEC over Zamfara saga; insists ruling party has governorship, National Assembly, state assembly candidates

– The APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has rebuffed the notice from INEC; insisting that the ruling party has candidates in Zamfara

– INEC had stated that the ruling party did not conduct primaries in the state and would not be fielding candidates for the 2019 elections

– Oshiomhole, however, pointed out that primaries were held between October 6 and 7 at City King Hotel in Gusau and that the candidates were arrived at by consensus

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has stated that the ruling party indeed held governorship, National Assembly and state assembly primaries in Zamfara state and will present candidates for the general elections.

His assertion was in response to the statement released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the APC of not conducting primaries within the time frame stipulated by electoral commission, Daily Trust reports.

TRACK NEWS notes that in the notice to the ruling party, INEC had stated: “You would note that from the timetable, the conduct of primaries is scheduled to take place between August 18 to October 7, 2018.

“However, report received from our office in Zamfara state shows that no primaries were conducted by your party in Zamfara, notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilised and deployed.

“Consequently, based on the provision of Section 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, the commission does not expect that your party will submit names of any candidate from Zamfara state.

“For clarity, our position therefore, is that the APC will not be fielding candidates for the governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections in Zamfara for the 2019 general elections.”

In response, however, Oshiomhole debunked the basis of INEC official’s letter that no primary held in Zamfara.

He said: “We wish to state emphatically that nothing can be farther from the actual situation in Zamfara state.”

Oshiomhole insisted that primaries were held between October 6 and 7, at City King Hotel in Gusau and that the candidates were arrived at by consensus. He further attached the report of the Zamfara Electoral Committee.

Meanwhile, TRACK NEWS previously reported that Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Monday, October 8, claimed that all primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2019 general elections had been concluded in the state.

Yari’s declaration came at a time when representatives of the party from the APC national headquarters said no election was held at all.