Lawan/Machina: INEC Insists APC Has No Candidate For Yobe North

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it stands by the report of its monitoring team on the contentious Yobe North Senatorial District.

The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, said this on Thursday in a statement.

According to him, the commission was informed of a counter-affidavit purportedly filed in the Federal High Court, Damaturu Judicial Division relating to the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election.

With this, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no candidate for the senatorial district which is presently being represented by the Senate President Ahmad Lawan. The battle for the ticket has been between Bashir Machina and Lawan.

Okoye said; “Notwithstanding the matter in court and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team and it was on the basis of that report that the commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District.

“Consequently, the commission will review its quality assurance protocols, including the preview by appropriate ranking officials of all processes filed on its behalf to ascertain their correctness in all material particulars with all reports and all information at its disposal before their presentation so that a situation like this is not repeated.”

He also said the commission has instructed the external counsel to handle the matter to reflect the correct position which aligns with the report submitted by its monitoring team.