APC says INEC can’t disqualify candidates from Zamfara, reveals its position on Rivers, Imo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot disqualify names it sent to it as candidates from Zamfara State for the 2019 elections.

The party also disclosed what it is going to do about Rivers and Imo states where court rulings appear not to have favoured candidates the party sent to INEC from those states.

APC national publicity secretary, Lanre Onilu, made this known to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

Recall that INEC had on October 10 said that APC was not eligible to field candidates for any elective position in Zamfara for the 2019 elections.

APC had then vowed to submit candidate from the state and went ahead to submit a candidates’ list from the state.

Speaking on the posibility of INEC disqualifying candidates from the state as earlier threatened, the APC spokesman said: “We submitted list of candidates for legislative elections in Zamfara state, if INEC did not take it, it is a different thing. We have a right to submit and INEC has the legal responsibility to receive.

“INEC cannot disqualify candidates we all know that. We have said clearly that whatever claim INEC is making is not correct and it is not a true representation of what happened.“

He went further to say that the party would continue to take progressive steps to make sure that INEC did what was right ahead of the 2019 general elections.

On the Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers APC governorship primaries, APC spokeman argued that the ruling had been subjected to different interpretations and that the party was yet to take a position on it.

He added, “We have a legal department and they (officers) will look into it and do what is right on it. The party will come out clearly on its position after studying the judgment.“

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On on recent court ruling on the submission of governorship candidate for Imo, he said the would not go against the court decision.

But noting that the submission of governorship candidates to INEC falls due on November 2, Onilu said that the party still had time to do what is right on the matter.

“We will only decide who will be APC’s governorship candidate for Imo by November 2,“ he said.

 

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