2023: APC asks INEC to delist PDP candidate in Zamfara

The North-West zonal leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not allowed to field governorship candidates in Zamfara State for the forthcoming general elections until it conducts a fresh primary.

The APC North-West Zonal Chairman, Salihu Lukman, made the declaration in a press statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

Checks revealed that the electoral body is expected to publish final list of governorship and state Assemblies candidates next month.

Lukman based his position on last Friday’s judgement of a Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara, which nullified the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that produced Dauda Lawan-Dare as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections in the state.

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Justice Aminu Bappa-Aliyu, while ruling on an application by three aspirants, who are plaintiffs in the suit, Dr Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, Alhaji Wadat Madawaki and Hafiz Muhammad, ordered that the PDP should immediately conduct fresh governorship primaries as she noted that that the PDP governorship primaries held on May 25 which produced Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare, as the party’s governorship candidate was marred with irregularities.

Lukman in his statement asked the INEC to immediately “delete the PDP and its claimed candidate for Zamfara State March 11, 2023, Governorship Election from the list of candidates.”

The statement read in part:” With this judgement, as it stands now, PDP has no candidate for the March 11, 2023 Governorship Election in Zamfara State. The order of the Federal High Court, Gusau, presided by Honourable Justice Aminu B. Aliyu, is that the PDP should conduct a valid primary election under the supervision of INEC for enlistment as PDP’s candidate for the 2023 General Election.

“INEC should therefore immediately delete the PDP and its claimed candidate for Zamfara State March 11, 2023, Governorship Election from the list of candidates. PDP and any considered candidate for the party for the 2023 Governorship Election should only be enlisted if provisions of the PDP 2017 Constitution as amended and provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 are met as directed by Honourable Justice Aminu B. Aliyu.

“By its conduct, PDP is only working to win the 2023 elections through the rigging. A party that manages its internal contests in breach of its own rules can only win elections by unfair and illegal means. Therefore, in addition to delisting PDP and its 2023 Governorship candidate for Zamfara State as directed by the order of the Federal High Court, Gusau, INEC must take every step to ensure that PDP’s conduct of disrespect for its own rules is not allowed to pollute the 2023 elections.

“Nigerian democracy has come of age. PDP must not be allowed to take Nigeria back to the dark period of unfair and illegal determination of election results based on the imposition of candidates and winners of the election, which is what the judgement by the Federal High Court, Gusau exposes.

“INEC and all patriotic Nigerians, especially APC leaders in the North-West and all our candidates for the 2023 elections at all levels must be very vigilant to stop the PDP from attempting to impose their ‘candidates’ as winners.”