THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied knowledge of a letter from the office of the Attorney Generation of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), asking it to postpone the conduct of State, National Assemblies and governorship elections in Zamfara State.
In the letter dated February 13, 2019, the AGF premised his request on the decision of the Court of Appeal Court, Sokoto Division.
The Court of Appeal in the judgement had declared that the APC conducted valid primaries for the various elective positions in the state.
Malami in his letter cited Sections 38 and 39 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2010 and submitted that granting the concession of postponing the polls in Zamfara State in the light of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, was not a matter of doing APC favour but a right the party was entitled to.
ALSO READ: PDP guber aspirants rally support for Atiku/Ombugadu in Nasarawa
His letter, addressed to INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu read in part: ” In view of the fact, now that the Court of Appeal has upheld the primaries as valid, the APC in Zamfara State will need a little time to catch up with its contemporaries in the election.
“Granting them this concession is not necessarily favouring but a right that inures to all contestants under similar circumstances.
“Consequent on the above, INEC is invited to comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal by admitting the results of the APC Zamfara State Primaries and to also comply with the provisions of Section 38 of the Electoral Act which empowers INEC to postpone the election for the governorship, National Assembly and House of Assembly Elections.”
But speaking with newsmen on Thursday, the INEC Director of Voters Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, denied knowledge of the letter from Abubakar Malami.
He said: “I said we have not received the letter, but when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. But for now, we have not received any such letter in INEC. It is in social media, how am I sure that it is not one of those social media gimmicks? I can’t comment on something I have not seen; I have made enquiries from the INEC chairman and he said there is nothing like such letter and he has not received any such letter.”
and then