INEC Denies Recognising Lawan, Akpabio As Senatorial Candidates
Category: Nigeria News
The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has denied a media
report that it had since accorded recognition to Senate President, Ahmad
Lawan, and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Honorable Godswill Akpabio,
as the senatorial candidates for Yobe North and Akwa-Ibom North West,
respectively.
Checks revealed that the electoral umpire had
maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidate for Yobe
North as the party failed to present Bashir Machina who won its primary as a
candidate.
In Akwa-Ibom, both the former minister, Akpabio and
former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Udo Ekpoudom, have
consistently laid claim to the party ticket for Akwa Ibom North West with the
State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Iginni proclaiming Ekpoudom as the
winner of primary monitored by INEC.
READ: Presidents Should Not Appoint INEC Chairmen- Jega
Ekpoudom said he duly participated in the Akwa Ibom North West APC Senatorial
District Primary Election held on May 27, 2022, and won in line with the 2023
Election Timetable and Guideline.
The former minister on the other
hand said he won convincingly at a separate rerun primary at the instance of
the APC national secretariat.
But Festus Okoye, National
Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in a
statement on Tuesday dismissed the report by the online platform as misleading
and unfounded.
READ: Kogi: INEC Makes a U-turn, Declares PDP winner
Okoye maintained that at no time did INEC publish the particulars of the
senate president and former minister of Niger Delta Affairs as senatorial
candidates.
“The forms of the two personalities in question were
not published by the commission,” he declared.
The INEC national
commissioner further disclosed that “for the record, the commission has not
recognized any of the two personalities as senatorial candidates.”
READ: Defection: INEC Is Not Going To Declare Reps’ Seats Vacant, Jega Tells PDP, Presidency
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