Barring last minute changes, candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC will not feature in the March 2 nationwide Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in Zamfara and Rivers States.
This is as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC releases final list of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates on Thursday with strong indications of not capturing candidates from these States.
Two conflicting judgements had been delivered last Friday by High Courts in Gusau and Federal Capital Territory, FCT on the candidates in Zamfara after INEC had rejected them for not complying with the October 7 deadline for the conduct of party primaries.
A High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State presided by Justice Muhammad Shinkafi ruled that APC actually conducted primaries in the state and should be allowed to present candidates for the electoral contest, and directed INEC to accept candidates from the party for Zamfara States in the forthcoming elections.
READ ALSO: Zamfara Aftermath: INEC withdraws 65 certificates of return
But a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ruled otherwise that INEC acted within its powers by refusing to accept the list of candidates from the Zamfara State chapter of the APC as it was not the fault of INEC that APC failed to conduct a valid primary within the period scheduled by the electoral body.
Business Day reliably gathered that INEC Management team was meeting on Wednesday to take decision on the conflicting judgements about Zamfara while it will stay action on the Rivers issue as the Supreme Court had reserved judgement on the appeal before it following earlier court rulings that restrained INEC from accepting APC candidates from the State.
Meanwhile, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman announced that final list of candidates for Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections will be published in all INEC State offices nationwide and the Commission’s website on Thursday.
Yakubu spoke at the Commission’s Headquarters, Abuja shortly after the swearing in the newly appointed INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner from Akwa Ibom State, Monday Udo-Tom who has been deployed to Bayelsa State.
While congratulating Udo- Tom, Yakubu said, “as I told your colleagues on the occasion of their swearing-in as Resident Electoral Commissioners, you will also be responsible for the implementation of the Commission’s policies. In doing so, you will exercise supervisory control over personnel, resources as well the legal and administrative processes in the State to which you are posted.
“You will also interact with various categories of stakeholders. In doing so, you must maintain the required openness and consultation. At the same time, you must be very firm and courageous on the side of the law as well as our regulations and guidelines at all times as required of an unbiased umpire.
“Furthermore, as a REC, you can be posted to any part of the country at any time as the exigencies of service require. For now, you will be posted to a State within your geo-political zone but you will never serve in you State of origin throughout your tenure. In line with this principle, you are hereby deployed to Bayelsa State.
“Your appointment is coming just 16 days to the 2019 General Elections. We have already implemented 10 out of the 14 activities in our timetable and schedule of activities. The final list of candidates for Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections will be published in all our State offices nationwide and the Commission’s website, tomorrow Thursday 31st January 2019.
In his remarks after taking oath of office Udo- Tom pledged total commitment to the vision of INEC to conduct free, fair, credible and transparent elections, assuring that as an umpire he would be fair to all parties and work with stakeholders in the electoral process without comprising set standards.
