- The ruling APC has said that it has the right to submit candidates for the 2019 general elections in Zamfara state
- APC said the Supreme Court ruling on the party's primaries has been subjected to various legal interpretations
- According to the party, INEC does not disqualify candidates for election
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has right to submit names of its candidates for elective positions in Zamfara for the 2019 general elections.
Lanre Onilu, the APC national publicity secretary, stated this while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, October 24, in Abuja saying it was without prejudice to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) stance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that INEC had on October 10, said that APC was not eligible to field candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly positions in Zamfara in the 2019 elections.
The commission in a letter signed by Okechukwu Ndeche, its acting secretary, said the APC was not qualified to field candidates because it failed to conduct primaries in Zamfara within the stipulated time-frame.
Adams Oshiomhole, the APC national chairman, while reacting to the development, had insisted that the party held primaries in Zamfara contrary to INEC`S stance.
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He, however, said that primary election was not the only mode prescribed for producing party candidates for elections in the 2010 amended Electoral Act.
“We submitted list of candidates for legislative elections in Zamfara state, if INEC did not take it, it is a different thing. We have a right to submit and INEC has the legal responsibility to receive.
“INEC cannot disqualify candidates we all know that. We have said clearly that whatever claim INEC is making is not correct and it is not a true representation of what happened,“ Onilu said.
He added that the APC would, however, continue to take progressive steps to ensure that INEC did what was right ahead of the 2019 general elections.
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Speaking on the Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers APC governorship primaries, Onilu noted that the ruling had been subjected to different interpretations, adding that the party had yet to take a position on it.
“We have a legal department and they (officers) will look into it and do what is right on it. The party will come out clearly on its position after studying the judgment,“ he said.
On court ruling on the submission of governorship candidate for Imo, the APC national publicity secretary said the party would comply with the court decision.
He, however, noted that the submission of governorship candidates to INEC falls due on Nov. 2, saying that the party still had time.
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“We will only decide who will be APC’s governorship candidate for Imo by November 2,“ the APC spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, a governorship aspirant of the APC in Zamfara said that, contrary to claims, the party did not conduct any primary election or agreed on consensus candidates for the various elective offices.
The senator's position was in contrast to that of Governor Abdulaziz Yari of the state who claimed primaries were held.
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Source: Legit.ng
