INEC’s list: Senate President Lawan dropped, Shekarau, Akpabio’s senatorial candidacies confirmed

INEC has published the final list of National Assembly candidates for the 2023 national elections.

With the omission, Lawan might have lost his bid to return to the Red Chamber in the 10th Assembly.

In all, 4,223 NASS candidates across the political parties will slug it out for seats in the 109-capacity Upper Chamber come February 2023.

Conspicuously absent on the list of candidates for the APC Yobe North senatorial district are the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan,  and his contender, Bashir Machina, whose name was sent to INEC as “place holder” for Lawan by the party.

Persecondnews recalls that Lawan had participated in the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

After the primary, Machina had refused to step down for Lawan, saying he has been duly elected as candidate for Senate poll in 2023.

With the omission, Lawan might have lost his bid to return to the Red Chamber in the 10th Assembly.

INEC, however, published the names of ex-Akwa lbom Gov. Godswill Akpabio as the party’s candidate for Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District, and Ibrahim Shekarau as candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP for Kano Central Senatorial District in spite of his recent defection from the NNPP.

A statement by the commission on Tuesday obtained by Persecondnews said: “Nigerians may recall that at end of the process, the personal particulars of all nominated candidates were displayed in their constituencies nationwide as provided by section 29(3) of the Electoral Act.

“Subsequently, validly nominated candidates had the opportunity to voluntarily withdraw their candidature by notice in writing and personally deliver such notice to the political party that nominated them for the election.

“Thereafter, political parties substituted such candidates under section 31 of the Electoral Act for which the last day was 15th July 2022 for national elections and 12th August 2022 for State elections as clearly provided in item 6 of the Commission’s Timetable and Schedule of Activities.

“Thereafter, no withdrawal or substitution of candidates is allowed except in the event of death as provided in section 34(1) of the Electoral Act or pursuant to an order of a Court of competent jurisdiction.

“The list published today contains the names of candidates validly nominated for national elections at the close of party primaries and the period earmarked for withdrawal and substitution of candidates.”

It added: “We note the fact that not all the political parties conducted primaries in all the constituencies, submitted the particulars of candidates that emerged from valid primaries or substituted their candidates after fresh primaries within 14 days as provided in section 33 of the Electoral Act. This has led to numerous litigations, some of which are ongoing.

“Where the Commission was served with Court orders by aggrieved aspirants or candidates before the publication of this list, these have been indicated under the remark column.”