INEC Takes Final Decision on Staff Who Sworn to an Affidavit in Favour of Lawan

• INEC has disowned an unnamed staff who has reportedly sworn an affidavit on the crisis at the Yobe North senatorial district
• The commission's spokesperson, Festus Okoye, reiterated the position of INEC that the report of its monitoring team remains valid and determines its decision
• The APC has submitted the name of the senate president, Ahmed Lawan in which Bashir Machina was announced the winner of the primary, but the court document showed that the staff confirmed another primary was conducted, and Lawan won

Damaturu, Yobe - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned one of its staff members who swore to an affidavit in court over the crisis in the primary of the Yobe North Senatorial district.

In a statement in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesperson of the commission, Festus Okoye said the unnamed staff at the federal high court in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, was not authorised to do so, Premium Times reported.

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What is INEC final decision on Lawan returning to Senate

There has been a legal tussle on the right candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial district between Ahmed Lawan, the senate president and Bashir Machina, a former lawmaker.

Machina was elected in the primary that INEC supervised, but the name of Lawan was forwarded to the commission in June.

Lawan did not participate in the primary as he was pursuing his presidential as at then, which he lost to the former governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu.

Did INEC accept APC's position on Lawan to contest again?

The INEC has rejected the ruling party’s position, insisting that it will stand by the report of its monitoring team on the election.

The monitoring team has announced Machina as the winner of the primary election.

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In the court document, the staff claimed that another primary was conducted in the senatorial district, where Lawan emerged as the winner.

Okoye statement reads in part:

“Without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the Commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team and it was on the basis of that report that the Commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District,” Mr Okoye said.

APC draws battle line with INEC, insists Lawan, Akpabio must be recognized

Legit.ng earlier reported that the ruling APC has insisted that the senate president, Ahmed Lawan and former minister of Niger Delta Affair, Godswill Akpabio remain its senatorial candidate

The spokesperson of the party, Felix Morka, said yesterday that Akpabio and Lawan remain the senatorial candidates for Akwa Ibom north-west and Yobe North

This party said this in response to a comment credited to the INEC's commissioner for information and chairman voter education, Festus Okoye, that the duo were not recognized by the commission

Source: Legit.ng