APC loses Imo, Zamfara as INEC publishes no guber candidates

This is as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not publish the name of any APC candidate for governorship election in Imo State while the party has no candidate for governorship and State Houses of Assembly in Zamfara State.
Following the electoral law and the 2019 general election time table, INEC on Friday published names of governorship and State Houses of Assembly Candidates nominated by different political parties across the states.
But in Imo State, the name of APC governorship candidate was missing on the list of names published by INEC for the state while that of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, and 66 others appeared on the list.

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Imo State APC governorship primaries were shrouded in controversy with two candidates, Hope Uzodinma and Uche Nwosu, each claiming victory.
However, Adams Oshiomhole, APC national chairman, last Friday told journalists that after careful examination of the conduct of the two governorship primaries that took place in Imo, the party upheld the election of Uzodinma and accordingly submitted his name to INEC as APC governorship candidate for Imo.
BDSUNDAY gathered that INEC’s decision to omit APC governorship candidate’s name on its list is in compliance with a court order mandating it not to publish any name for APC as the matter was still in court.
In Zamfara too, the INEC’s list published did not capture APC candidates for both governorship and State House of Assembly elections as the Commission had last month banned the party from fielding candidates for state and national elections when it did not meet up the deadline for conducting primaries in the state.
Though APC insisted that it will field candidates for Zamfara, no candidate was featured when INEC first published list of National Assembly candidates, and on Friday when the list for state elections was published, APC had none, while the Zamfara PDP governorship candidate, Bello Matawalle’s name appeared with governorship candidates of other political parties as well as candidates for the 24 seats of the State House of Assembly.
Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, while confirming this to BDSUNDAY, said, “We also heard just the way you heard and until we get clarification from INEC, we wouldn’t know why. So it is only when get clarification we will be able to give informed reaction. For Zamfara the case is already in Court so until that is sorted out.”