The nominations of Senate President Ahmad Lawan for the Yobe North Senate seat and Godswill Akpabio for Akwa Ibom North West, both are members of the ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC), were rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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| Ahmad Lawan (Left-up) and Godswill Akpabio |
INEC disclosed this on Sunday as the body’s National Commissioner Festus Okoye said, the Electoral body does not recognize any APC candidate for two Senatorial zones.
In an interview on Channels TV, Okoye said: “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.”
“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.
“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.”
On the nominations of Lawan and Akpabio as senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections, INCE said: “The Forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the Commission.
“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.”
