The All Progressives Congress ( APC) has submittted the list of Senatorial candidates for the 2023 General Election delisting Machina of Yobe North and EkpoUdom of Akwa Ibom State North replacing them with Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Both Lawan and Akpabio contested the APC Presidential primary which gave victory to the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While Akpabio stepped down for Tinubu,Lawan participated in the election coming a distant fourth . .
The plan of the duo to claim senatorial tickets met instant rebuffs by those who won the primaries and their supporters.
While Akpabio reportedly contested in what the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC claimed was phony by election conducted with INEC officials, in Akpabio’s senatorial district, Lawan did not present himself for any by election.
Reacting to news of his replacement by the APC, winner of the Yobe North Senatorial District primary, Bashir Machina expressed shock at the removal of his name by the APC.
Addressing a Press Conference on Friday evening,Machina said that he has not stepped down for any body and does not have the intention of doing so since his mandate was given to him freely by his people.
He said he would explore all avenues aimed at seeking understanding to correct the mistakes made but warned that if nothing happens,he would be forced to seek legal action..
” I remain the candidate and it remains so. I hope our leadership will take the neccessary measures. We will work hard to exploit and explore all the neccessary channels as provided by our guideline. In the event of the contrary as Nigerian citizens and as law abiding citizens, the constitution of our country being the overall law above eveey aspect of our lives as Nigerians,I would have no choice but to resort to court ( legal) action.”
The withdrawal of the validly elected candidates’ names without their consent was a clear breach of the Electoral Act 2022.which requires withdrawal letters at the level of aspiration not after winning the contest.
Besides, as explained by Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner the Electoral Act does not recognize substitution of candidates which means that the ruling party goofed in hasty replacement of the elected candidates with the ex presidential aspirants.
