Akpabio, Lawan are not candidates for 2023 Senate election, they can go Court – INEC

To nail the coffin of an endless struggle of power in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and in Yobe North Senatorial District where the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio and then serving President of Nigeria Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan were seeking re-election after losing in their respective bid to get the All Progressive Congress-APC Presidential ticket at the primary, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has today though a letter signed by Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voters Education Committee directed Akpabio and Lawan to seek redress at the Federal High Court as the Commission (INEC) does not recognize them as candidates who emerged from a primary officially monitored by INEC State offices.

In a letter titled: “Clarification on Issues Relating to Candidate Nomination and Release of Certified True Copies of Documents” the document says in part:

“The attention of the Commission has been drawn to speculations circulating online on the outcome of some of the recent primaries conducted by political parties and related issues. In particular, allegations intended to impugn the integrity of the Commission have been made in respect of the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts.

“To set the record straight, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria mandates the Commission to monitor the organisation and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses and party primaries.

“In line with its constitutional and legal obligations, the Commission deployed monitors to the various constituencies and received reports of such exercise. In relation to the primaries for the Akwa Ibom North West and Yobe North Senatorial Districts, the Commission stands by the monitoring reports received from our State offices.

“For this reason, the Commission did not publish the personal particulars of any candidate for the two constituencies at variance with the State reports. Right now, the Commission is funtus officio in the two cases.
“Aggrieved parties are at liberty to approach the Federal High Court and seeks redress as provided in section 285 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and sections 2915) and 84114) of the Electoral Act, 2022.”

Okoye, however, pledged that INEC would continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral process, including the deepening of the deployment of technology to enhance the credibility of elections.