Joseph Bakare
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has insisted on its eligibility to submit names of its candidates for elective positions in Zamfara for the 2019 general elections.
Mr Lanre Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary, while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja said its position was without prejudice to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) stance.
The INEC had on October 10, said that APC was not eligible to field candidates for Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly positions in Zamfara in the 2019 elections.
The commission in a letter signed by Okechukwu Ndeche, its acting Secretary, said the APC was not qualified to field candidates because it failed to conduct primaries in Zamfara within the stipulated time-frame.
However, Adams Oshiomhole, the Party’s National Chairman, while reacting to the development, insisted that the party held primaries in Zamfara contrary to INEC`S stance.
He, however, said that primary election was not the only mode prescribed for producing party candidates for elections in the 2010 amended Electoral Act.
“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, “ Onilu said.
He added that the APC would, however, continue to take progressive steps to ensure that INEC did what was right ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Speaking on the Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers APC governorship primaries, Onilu noted that the ruling had been subjected to different interpretations, adding that the party had yet to take a position on it.
“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,“ he said.
On court ruling on the submission of governorship candidate for Imo, the APC national publicity secretary said the party would comply with the court decision.
He, however, noted that the submission of governorship candidates to INEC falls due on November 2, saying that the party still had time.
“We will only decide who will be APC’s governorship candidate for Imo by November 2,“ the APC spokesman said