JUST IN: Court rejects Lawan, orders INEC to recognize Machina as Yobe APC senatorial candidate

Bashir Sheriff Machina is set to be recognized as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Yobe North senatorial district in 2023 after a Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State Capital ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish his name instead of Senate President Ahmed Lawan.

In her verdict on Wednesday, September 27, 2022, Justice Fadima Aminu affirmed Machina as the duly and validly elected candidate of the APC, thereby upholding the May 28 primary election of the party that produced him.

Machina had asked the court the declare him the rightful flagbearer of the elections as Ahmed Lawan did not participate in the polls.

At the time the exercise was held, Lawan was pursuing his presidential ambition but lost to former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu.

Rather than submit the name of the elected candidate, the name of the senate president was submitted to the commission by the ruling APC, a move that led to the deliberate omission of their names from the published particulars of candidates late June.

To clarify the brewing controversy around the seat, INEC, on at least two different occasions, said it rejected the senate president’s name because he had not been validly nominated for the senatorial seat, reports Sahara Reporters.

The commission, however, urged the duo to resolve their issues internally or seek redress in court.

Machina however filed a suit before a Federal High Court, Damaturu to challenge the APC National Working Committee decision.

NBA