Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has obeyed the court order to include the National Assembly, governorship and state Assembly candidates on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ballot sheets ahead of the general elections.
The statement from National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, noted that it was in line with the resolution of the commission to always obey court judgments and orders.
The statement says: “ln the case of the APC in Zamfara State, the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Zamfara State High Court issued conflicting orders relating to the participation of the APC in the two strands of elections scheduled for 23rd February and 9th March 20l9.
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“While the former ruled that the APC, having failed to conduct party primaries cannot field candidates in the said election, the latter decided that it could field candidates having conducted valid party primaries.
“However, the Court of Appeal, Abuja judicial division on February 21, 2019, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for “lack or want of jurisdiction on the part on the lower court.” This in effect means that the Zamfara State High Court‘s decision that the APC can field candidates for the National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections is the only valid and subsisting order.
“Consequently, the commission has today, in compliance with the said order, restored the APC to the ballot in the National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 23 and March 9, 2019,” he said.