The All Progressives Congress has asked INEC to appoint Ahmad Lawan as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North in 2023.
The APC expressed its intention to upload Mr Lawan’s name as its candidate from the district in a letter to INEC dated June 14, 2023, which was received on June 15 at the electoral office’s headquarters in Abuja, effectively calling Bashir Machina’s bluff.
Mr Machina had previously stated that he would not hand over his mandate to Mr Lawan, claiming that he had won the senatorial primary while the Senate President was in Abuja pursuing the ruling party’s presidential ticket. On June 8, Mr Lawan lost his Senate seat to Bola Tinubu, and he returned to his district to claim his party’s ticket for his sixth Senate run.
The APC appeared to have relied on a clause that required primary contenders to voluntarily withdraw from a race or be arbitrarily substituted by the party, depending on the circumstances. As an aspirant, Mr Machina acknowledged the clause but did not support it.
INEC’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on whether the ruling party’s explanation for the submission of Mr Lawan’s name is satisfactory to the electoral office. A request for the legal basis for the party’s action was not returned by a spokesman.
Mr Machina would have a good chance in court, according to legal analyst Chioma Okechukwu, who believes the APC’s decision was risky.
“Since he legally won the primary, they need his permission to substitute his name,” Ms Okechukwu explained. “While political parties have the authority to nominate candidates, INEC must conduct due diligence to ensure that each nomination follows the law’s due process.”
