The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Friday bowed to pressure and accepted candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Zamfara State less than 24 hours to Saturday’s rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.
INEC had consistently maintained its earlier position not to accept APC candidates for Zamfara State due to failure to comply with October 7 2018 deadline for the conduct of parties primaries despite court orders, a development which pundits said contributed to the postponement of elections last Saturday.
But Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Voter Education and Publicity Committee in a statement said the Commission has in compliance with the Court of Appeal Abuja ruling on Thursday, “restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 2019”.
Okoye said, “the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has consistently maintained that it will always obey coun judgments and orders.
“ln the case of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, the Federal High Court Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 20l9.
“While the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries cannot field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it can field candidates having conducted valid party primaries.
“However, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division on 2|st February 2019 set aside thejudgment of the Federal High Coun. Abuja for “lack or want ofjurisdiction on the part on the lower court.” This in effect means that the Zamfam State High Court‘s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly, Govcmorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order.
“Consequently, the Commission has today, in compliance with the said order, restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly, Govemorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 2019.
