The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) doesn’t have candidates for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts in respect of Senators Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio’s nominations.
Recall that while Senate President Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe North is battling to get the party’s ticket after losing the APC presidential primary, former Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio is also fighting to get the ruling party’s ticket to run for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial seat after vying for same APC presidential ticket.
However speaking on Sunday August 14 in a Channels Television interview, INEC’s National Commissioner, Festus Okoye said the electoral body does not recognise any APC candidate for both senatorial zones.
He said;
“In these two constituencies, two names were forwarded and the commission made a determination that the names were not persons who emerged from a validly conducted party primaries and we did not publish their names. That is where we are.
“Their (Lawan and Akpabio) names were uploaded by the APC to our candidates’ nomination portal but the Commission made a determination that they were not the candidates that emerged from valid party primaries.
“The commission did not publish their names and their particulars in their constituencies. So, the implication is that as of today, the APC does not have candidates in those two constituencies.”
