The Independent National Electoral Commssion (INEC) has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be fielding candidates for the Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State for the 2019 general elections.
This was contained in a letter by the Acting Secretary to the Commission, Okechukwu Ndeche to the party.
According to the commission, the decision was taken following a report from its Zamfara State office that no primaries were conducted by the party in the state notwithstanding that INEC staff were mobilized and deployed for the exercise.
The letter reads, “Please refer to the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections released by the commission on 9th January, 2018. You would note that from the timetable that the conduct of party primaries is scheduled to take place between 18th August and 7th October, 2018.
“Kindly also refer to the last schedule communicated by your party to the commission on the dates of party primaries nationwide, including Zamfara, vide your letter Ref APC/NHDQ/INEC/19/18/51 dated 3rd October, 2018. However, report received from our office in Zamfara State shows that no primaries were conducted by your party in the state, notwithstanding that our officials were fully mobilized and deployed.
“Consequently, based on the provisions of Sections 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended), the commission does not expect that your party will submit names of any candidates from Zamfara State. For clarity, our position, therefore, is that All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be fielding candidates for the Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections in Zamfara State for the 2019 general elections”.
Recall that the sacked leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State returned Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris as winner of last Wednesday’s botched governorship primary election in the state.
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had announced the dissolution of Zamfara APC exco led by Alhaji Lawali M. Liman.
But the embattled Liman, who insisted he remained the chairman of the party, had also declared Governor Abdulaziz Yari as winner of Zamfara West senatorial zone’s primary election in the state, who he said had scored 166,610 votes.
Alhaji Liman said the state government-backed Shehu Idris polled 310,380 votes to clinch the governorship ticket of the party; while Senator Kabiru Marafa, a member of the G8 fighting Governor Yari, came second with only 54,607 votes.
He said the other governorship contenders scored votes as follows: Alhaji Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi 5,514; Deputy Governor Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad 517; Alhaji Sagir Hamidu Gusau 102; Alhaji Aminu Sani Jaji 12,039; Alhaji Abu Magaji 340; Alhaji Dauda Lawal Dare 5,396; and Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd) 292 votes.
However, the Major General Abubakar Mustapha Gana-led Zamfara State Electoral Committee, said the results announced by Alhaji Liman could not stand, adding that they would submit their report to the national headquarters that there was no primaries in Zamfara.
Political parties had up till 12am on Sunday to complete their primary elections for various offices; and findings at the APC headquarters in Abuja indicated that Zamfara was unable to beat the dateline.
In a WhatsApp message, Marafa said Governor Yari should be expelled from the party for committing what he called “treason against APC.”
With additional report from Daily Trust
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