By Ayo Kehinde
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has finally issued a statement on its position on the fate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, party candidates for the governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly election in Zamfara State.
Following conflicting judgments from a High Court in the state and a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, the electoral umpire stuck with its earlier plan to reject candidates from the state, stating that the primaries for the election of candidates into the positions were illegal.
Two courts on Friday issued conflicting rulings on whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can accept candidates presented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Zamfara elections in 2019.
A High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Friday ruled that the ruling APC conducted primaries in the state and should be allowed to present candidates for the positions of governorship, National and state assemblies electoral contest. It then directed the INEC), to accept candidates from the party for the State
But a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in Abuja ruled that INEC acted within its powers by refusing to accept the list of candidates from the Zamfara State chapter of the APC.
While accepting that both courts have the competent jurisdiction over the case, INEC, in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, said it had to obey its earlier position, “that the party in question did not conduct primaries and therefore, in line with Section 87 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), is not eligible to field candidates for the National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State”
