2023: No going back on Lawan, Akpabio, APC insists

All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that there is no going back on fielding Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as senatorial candidates representing Yobe North and Akwa-Ibom North West respectively.

The candidacy of Lawan and Akpabio have been shrouded in controversy over claim by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that they did not participate in a validly conducted party primaries.

However, despite the controversy and the stand of the commission, the national leadership of the ruling party has resolved to unload their names as the senatorial candidates in INEC’s portal ahead of the July 15 deadline.

Confirming the development, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, told Daily Sun that the party would not change its decision to upload them into INEC’s portal.

A former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Udom Ekpoudom had emerged winner of the senatorial primary for Akwa Ibom North West at a time Akpabio was vying for the presidential ticket of the party.

Also, while Lawan was aspiring for the presidential ticket of the party, Bashir Machina, had participated in the senatorial primary election and won.

Akpabio, he said: “We don’t have any issue with Akpabio’s candidacy. It was just the REC, Mike Igini, that wants to make issue where there is none. But, when INEC wrote to our party recognising state executive on Akpabio’s side, following a court order, the issue is sorted out.

If INEC should make such recognition of the state exco, what it means is that every communication between the state exco and INEC will be the one the commission will obey.”

Equally commenting on Lawan and the controversy over Yobe North senatorial ticket, the Deputy Organising said: “We have taken a decision as NWC to upload him, but Bashir Machina has gone to court. We have uploaded his name, but it can only be changed by court pronouncement and or the commission.”

While giving update on the arrangements to meet up with the INEC’s deadline on uploading of candidates, he revealed that only three governorship candidates are been awaited. He added that the National Working Committee (NWC) will meet today to ratify the candidates.

“We are down to about three states that are yet to be uploaded. This will likely be sorted out hopefully by Thursday.

The challenges we had are from the party not on the side of INEC portal. Once you do the needful, it takes only few seconds to upload on the portal. The challenge is from the party because most States thought we are going to wait till the last date to upload.” (Daily Sun)