INEC insists on Lawan’s ineligibility for Yobe North senatorial district

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared that it will stand on its earlier decision on the ineligibility of the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Yobe North senatorial district.

INEC maintained that regardless of the fact that the matter is still litigated and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the Commission stands by its earlier position on the report of its monitoring team.

The Commission, in a statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, noted that it will however review its quality assurance protocols, including the preview by appropriate ranking officials of all processes filed on its behalf to ascertain their correctness.

The statement added that it has also instructed the external counsel briefed to handle this matter to reflect the correct position.

Titled; ‘Yobe North Senatorial Primary Election: INEC Stands by its monitoring team’s report’, the statement read: “the attention of INEC has been drawn to a counter affidavit purportedly filed in the Federal High Court, Damaturu Judicial Division relating to the Yobe North Senatorial District primary election.

“Notwithstanding the matter in Court and without prejudice to the consideration or likely outcome of the case in court, the Commission reiterates its earlier position that it stands by the report of its monitoring team and it was on the basis of that report that the Commission did not publish the name and personal particulars of any candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District.

“Consequently, the Commission will review its quality assurance protocols, including the preview by appropriate ranking Officials of all processes filed on its behalf to ascertain their correctness in all material particulars with all reports and all information at its disposal before their presentation so that a situation like this is not repeated.

“The Commission has also instructed the external counsel briefed to handle this matter to reflect the correct position, which aligns with the report submitted by our Monitoring Team,” the statement read.