APC Submits Senate President Lawan’s Name To INEC Despite Issuing Bashir Machina Certificate Of Return

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has submitted the name of Ahmad Lawan to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as its candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

Lawan is the current Senate President.

His name was shared by the INEC on Friday evening an hour after the Commission’s portal shutdown automatically.

In a picture shared on Facebook handle, the Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Tabiowo Ezrel, posted Lawan’s name alongside two others as candidates for the senatorial zones in the state.

Lawan’s name was uploaded on INEC’s server by the ruling party alongside other senatorial candidates across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

THE WHISTLER had reported that Lawan did not participate in the party’s primary, in which Bashir Machina, who was the sole senatorial candidate, won.

All efforts to relinquish the certificate of return to enable Lawan to be named the substantive candidate of the party have failed.

Machina has alleged threat to his life. It is not clear if he had written to the party about his withdrawal as provided by the Electoral Act 2022 before Lawan’s name was submitted.

Lawan had taken part in the party’s presidential election which he lost.

It was gathered that the APC had written to INEC, informing the electoral body that Lawan will be its nominee for the district.

Lawan’s name was uploaded by past 4pm to beat the 6pm deadline, according to an aide. But the aide failed to clarified if the process followed the law being that Machina was the holder of the certificate of return.